The editor often arrives at Appetite HQ with fennel bulbs and fronds from her garden, where she grows them as much for their pretty feathery fronds as for their distinctive aniseed flavour. Use the stalks instead of celery in soup, or as a bed for roast chicken. Use the fronds as you would dill or parsley. Oddly enough, while fennel is easy to grow and versatile in recipes, many people are afraid of its strong flavour. We recommend you give it a chance, however, maybe trying some of the following suggestions:
• For a simple side dish, roast halved or quartered fennel bulbs spritzed with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar at 200C/Gas 6 for 40 mins or until tender and beginning to caramelise.
• Place thinly sliced fennel in a pie dish. Pour over a 50:50 mix of double cream and whole milk with a couple of minced garlic cloves, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake at 190C/Gas 5 for 30-40 mins until tender and golden on top.
• To pep up lemon risotto, add thinly sliced fennel with the onion at the start of cooking. When the risotto is done, fry some more thin fennel slices to top and serve garnished with fennel fronds.
