Timing might not be all too good right now, showing our sunny Southern California garden of fennel bulbs while the rest of the country is knee deep in snow and ice. But there are trade offs to having relatively warm Los Angeles winters: we also get the traffic congestion, smog and the concrete jungle.
So please, don’t hate us because we have lots of sunshine and a winter garden of veggies!
Our fennel bulbs are big, tender, sweet and ready for picking! We planted them in the middle of summer and pretty much forgot about them for a while. Often times, we’ll throw seeds in the ground somewhere or plant some tender seedlings, wondering how they’ll fare in a new part of the garden. These fennel bulbs were an experiment because they were crammed in a little corner of a plot. This is the first year we’ve grown fennel because the price tag can get pretty steep at the markets. If we can’t afford it, we’ll grow it!
Happy fennel picker
After our recent rains, they just exploded with the gush of healthy rain water, followed by days of sunshine. Even though we aren’t getting freezing temperatures and snow (although we did get frost last night), it is still cold enough to make us crave winter foods. Fresh and bright salads don’t have the same appeal as braised and roasted dishes. So for our virgin fennel bulbs, we decided to go to one of our fennel favorites, braised fennel bulb highlighted with some crispy prosciutto.
The fennel gets a caramelized sweetness that gets balanced with the saltiness from the crispy prosciutto. Mmmm…..
You could also shave some Grano Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano on it if you like, or even add some apples in like Evil Chef Mom did to her latkes. Or leave off the prosciutto and add some pork butt or sausage. Even if you are one who has shunned any licorice flavored goodies, this may be this dish which converts you to the dark side.
Happy fennel flowers
Harvesting happy fennel seeds
(this is a happy little post, isn’t it!)
The braising sweetens the fennel as well and taking a bit of the licorice bite out of it. Eat these enough and your palate may begin change and soon you’ll be drinking pastis and buying black licorice. As we like to say, “There isn’t anything we don’t like, we just haven’t found it in a way we like it.”
We’re submitting this Braised Fennel & crispy prosciutto dish to Grow Your Own event by Andrea of Andreas Recipes. This fabulous event celebrates the bounty of fruits and vegetables grown in our gardens!
An added plus to the licorice flavor of fennel: supposedly licorice helps stimulate the sexual appetite. Tempted yet?!? Prrrrrr!
fresh fennel shower
caramelized sweetness
white wine to braise
fresh thyme & bay leaf for extra flavor
close lid, allow to braise
salty prosciutto for more flavor fun
crisping up the prosciutto
finale! braised goodness
Print This Recipe
Braised Fennel Recipe
Ingredients
3 Med. Fennel Bulbs
2-3 T Olive Oil
1/2 c Chicken Stock
1/2 c Dry White Wine (like a Sauv. Blanc)
3-4 sprigs of Fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
@ 4 slices Prosciutto
1. Slice the fennel into 1/2″ thick pieces (try to keep each piece with bit of the root base so it stays together.)
2. On med.-high, heat a large saute pan then add olive oil. After oil is hot, add fennel and caramelize on all sides(@3-4 min./side.)
3. Add stock, wine, thyme and bay to fennel and reduce heat to low – med-low. Cover and gently simmer for 20-30 min., or until fennel bulbs are tender with a fork (you may need to add more stock as you simmer. Don’t let pan go dry, but you don’t want hardly any liquid left when you are done.)
4. While fennel cooks, heat a saute pan over med-high, add a touch of oil and crisp the prosciutto (just like cooking bacon.) After it cools a bit, slice it into your preferred size.
Plate the fennel and top with the crispy prosciutto. If you aren’t using the prosciutto, make sure you season the fennel.
Subscribe to Full WORC feed by RSS
Follow White On Rice Couple - Twitter
Like White on Rice Couple via Facebook
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Amazing. Did you know they were going to do so well, even in the dead of “winter”?
Nope, we just put them in and figured what the hell, we’ve nothing to lose if they don’t do well. We’ve just started over the last year or two with experimenting on what does well in our “winter.” The fennel was a nice surprise.
Oh, I am *green*. I’ll have to see how fennel does in my garden. I do love the stuff, and it’s so darned expensive here. Filing this recipe away for future reference.
Just drop by to wish you a great jolly New Year! . . . . from us both Sunny & Sidney
Hmm, do you guys have anything to dull my sexual appetite? KIDDING! Man, that was too disturbing on so many levels, ha ha ha
Looks great (especially with the caramelization going on), maybe I’ll sub in bacon in mine, hee hee 
I’ve always grown fennel in my garden, but only to attract beneficial insects (and harvest a few seeds). My husband doesn’t like black licorice, but I may have to try this recipe next season. Excellent post – loved all the photos.
Wow! That braised fennel is one beautiful dish. I’ve only had fennel in citrus salads.
so… i have a little bit of my internet back and what a surprise, i just made your baked onion dip which was the hit of the christmas party and i’m going to be making this sometime this week… yummy. even though i’m only a couple hundred miles away, it’s been really cold up around here. enjoy all your sunshine.
Happy New Year, both of you!
Oh, of course we won’t hate you, but a bit of jealousy is allowed, no?
Happy New Year to you guys from icy Seattle….
Wow, that looks truly delicious.
I have been wanting to do more with fennel and this sounds like a nice way to!
i won’t hate you for your good fortune. i’ll simply pine from afar and wish that i had garden-fresh veggies to tide me over.
Happy New Year!
Back with the living here! Thanks for the voicemail, was completely out of it most of the week last week and drove back to SF yesterday …. long few days!
This dish looks fantastic! We tried growing fennel but it never took, maybe this year. We love eating it and will definitely give this recipe a try sounds perfect, savory and salty!
Hell yeah! Awesome stuff
This just looks fantastic. I will take two orders please 
!
your crops are all so lush and beautiful as always =) lovely photos
That looks delish. I grew fennel several years ago and down here it likes the milder weather.
Not the hot summer, in a month or so I should toss some seeds in the ground.
Yeah, yeah, don’t lie. You know we are the luckiest to live where we do.
Actually, I miss the New England fall foliage and winter snow of my childhood from time to time.
I’m using fennel this week, but not braising. Lidia Bastianich has a braising recipe in Lidia’s Italy I’ve always wanted to try. If I do, I’ll use your prosciutto idea to perk it up – Steve would be grateful for that little extra punch to the vegetable dish.
The picture of you caught my attention – short sleaves, sunshine, gardening, in winter? I am dripping with envy!
Commenting from Vancouver, with a big wind and rain storm outside, after being snowed in for 2 weeks,
Helen.
Hi,
Just a short note to let you know that you are the winner of December IFP:
http://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/?p=4314
This month I’m announcing winner before midnight… as I won’t be able to do it at that time
Happy New Year Todd & Diane!
Margot
You had me at the prosciutto, but then the aphrodisiac comment made me laugh out loud! Your fennel looks so lovely, and it’s wonderful that you harvest the seeds, too. I always find some inspiration in your posts. Happy New Year!
Fennel is one of my favorite foods! I can’t wait to try this dish.
PS. I am glad I stumbled onto this blog – it is wonderful.
Jo
http://www.sooperfarmerjo.blogspot.com/
Wow that looks fantastic! I’ve never been a huge licorice fan, but I’ve come to love fennel.
I’m floridly coveting your fennel, tho I’m likely violating a commandment or two. It’s big and beautiful. I’d better go add some fennel to my CSA order.