How to Prepare Fennel to Cook

Fennel, also known as sweet anise, has a long history in culinary and medicinal use. According to Greek mythology, fennel carried the fiery ember of knowledge from Mount Olympus to man. In the Middle Ages, "good" witches claimed fennel as their weapon of choice in battles with "evil" witches. Today, the bulbs of the plant make a delicious side dish or addition to green salads. Preparing fennel does not require special cooking skills or equipment. Once you know how to prepare fennel to cook, you can use both the bulb and the fern-like fronds to add a sweet, licorice-like flavor to vegetables, meats, salads, or soups.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Prepare Raw Fennel

1
Select rounder bulbs, rather than the flattened ones, for the best flavor. The bulbs should be a bright white color without soft spots.
2
Use a sharp knife to cut away the stems and the root end of the fennel bulbs.

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3
Cut the bulb in half. Remove the tough core from the center of each piece.
4
Slice the rest of the sweet anise bulb into thin strips.
5
Serve the raw fennel bulb and fronds in salads.
- Toss it with a garden salad or slaw for a slight licorice flavor.
- Mix orange sections, thinly sliced red onions, raw sweet anise, and citrus vinaigrette. Serve the salad on a bed of frisée greens.
- Combine raw fennel, blood oranges, and black olives for a Mediterranean salad treat. Serve it with toasted pita bread.
- Chop the sweet anise into smaller pieces, and mix it into tuna or chicken salad. Garnish the salad with a sprinkling of the chopped fronds.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Prepare Cooked Fennel

1
Place 1 tablespoon (14.7 ml) of vegetable oil in a sauté pan, and heat the pan until warm. Place the fennel pieces into the pan, and cook until tender.
2
Simmer the sliced sweet anise in a tomato sauce as a side dish. Add a pinch of saffron and shrimp for a seafood soup.
3
Boil the fennel bulb slices until just tender. Drain, and pour them into a casserole or gratin dish you have buttered liberally. Sprinkle the dish with black pepper and Parmesan cheese. Bake the side dish in a 400-degree Fahrenheit (204-degrees Celsius) oven until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
4
Blanch the thinly sliced sweet anise.
- Dip it in boiling water for 10 seconds, and then plunge it into ice water. Mix it with eggplant slices or cubes, sliced red onion, and chopped red and yellow bell pepper. Drizzle it with an olive oil vinaigrette, and season with fresh rosemary, thyme, and basil. Roast it in the oven, on a parchment-lined baking sheet, until all the vegetables are tender.
- Lightly sauté the fennel in butter with sweet onion slices to "sweat" the vegetables. Add 2/3 cups (150 ml) of vegetable or chicken stock, cover, and braise the side dish for 20 to 25 minutes or until the fennel is tender.
- Mix thinly sliced sweet anise with the potato slices when you prepare potato au gratin.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I clean fennel?

Community Answer

Wash the fennel thoroughly and trim off the fennel stalks. If the stalks are still attached to your bulb of fennel, cut them away close to where they connect to the bulb. Cut the bulb in half and cut the halves into quarters. Peel off any wilted outer layers. Slice the fennel crosswise.
Question

If a recipe calls for two baby fennel bulbs and I could only get an adult bulb, how much of the adult bulb should I use?

Community Answer

I would recommend using about half of the adult bulb.