Fennel fantasies

Winter is here in Australia and this means our love affair with fennel has been reignited.

Whilst our most revered way to consume fennel is caramelised (slices of fennel cooked in olive oil and a little salt for at least ½ hour in a saucepan) served with anything (most of all, by itself), we have branched out and enjoyed it in other applications – A fennel, aubergine and pumpkin tagine, and fennel and carrot soup.To get a little more familiar with the fennel we did some research.

Foeniculum vulgare is in the Umbelliferae family, alongside carrots, celery, parsley, dill, caraway, coriander, and anise. The name Foeniculum comes from the Latin word for “fragrant hay.”

Fennel is native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, but spread with the movement of the Romans as far east as China, to the British Isles, and with settlers to the Americas. Today, the United States, France, India and Russia are among the leading cultivators of fennel.

Greek myths hold that knowledge was delivered to man by the gods at Olympus in a fennel stalk filled with coal. Fennel was honoured by the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and the Romans for its medicinal and culinary properties.

Fennel has always been associated with the preparation of fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon, because its chemical components aid in digestion of the fats. Candy-coated fennel seeds are a common disgestif consumed by Indians.

The three different parts of fennel-the base, stalks and leaves – all can be used in cooking.
Fennel is an excellent source of vitamin C, dietary fibre, potassium, folate, and many other minerals, as well as being high in anti oxidants.

Fennel is usually available from autumn through early spring, and should have a fragrant aroma, smelling subtly of licorice or anise.

There is an ongoing debate about the gender of fennel. Firstly, if there are male and female varieties, and if the female is the short, stout one and the male the longer, slender one – or vice versa.

Fennel, pumpkin, eggplant & olive tagine

1/3 cup olive oil
6 small red onions, halved
1 fennel, cut into wedges and core removed
6 garlic cloves
1 tblsp cumin seeds
1/4 pumpkin, skin on, in wedges 1cm thick
3 Japanese eggplant, cut in half and
quartered lengthways
500mL vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
2 tblsp honey
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup coriander
Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a tagine dish (or large saucepan) over a medium heat. Add onions and fennel and cook for about 10 minutes. Add garlic. Add spices, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add a little water if you find the mixture is sticking to the pan. Add pumpkin, eggplant and vegetable stock, stir and then cover, reduce heat and allow to cook for about 15 minutes. Add olives, honey and orange juice and stir to combine. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft but still firm. Season to taste and sprinkle over parsley and coriander.

Fennel & carrot soup with smoked trout

2 tblsp olive oil
1 large fennel bulb
3 cloves garlic
650g carrots
1L vegetable stock
1/3 cup orange juice
Smoked trout/ salmon
Fennel seeds, toasted
Fennel leaves

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onions, fennel and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes. Add carrots and saute for a further 5 mintues. Add vegetable stock and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree. Return soup to heat, add orange juice and season with salt and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve in bowls with smoked trout, topped with fennel seeds and leaves.