Fennel Confit With Kalijira Rice And Olives Recipes

SALMON CONFIT WITH LIME, JUNIPER, AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325°F. Finely grate the zest from 1 of the limes and place the zest in a bowl (reserve the lime for later). Stir in the salt, pepper, and crushed juniper berries and fennel seeds. Sprinkle the mixture all over the salmon fillets and place them, packed close together, in a small baking dish (a large loaf pan or an 8-inch cake pan will work).
• Thinly slice the remaining lime and lay the slices on the fish. Tuck the marjoram sprigs around the fish. Cover the fish with olive oil-you'll need at least ½ cup, possibly even 1 cup, to submerge it. Bake the fish until it's just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. (Thinner fillets may take less time-start checking at 10 minutes.)
• Remove the fennel fronds from the bulb and chop enough to make ½ cup. Trim the fennel bulb and thinly slice it on a mandoline or with a very sharp knife. In a bowl, toss the fennel fronds and slices with a pinch of fine sea salt. Juice the zested lime and add juice, to taste, to the fennel. Drizzle the fennel with oil. Serve the salmon and fennel sprinkled with flaky sea salt.

FENNEL CONFIT WITH KALIJIRA RICE AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Peel 2 shallots and place in a small baking dish. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and set aside. In a small deep baking dish, combine fennel, 2 unpeeled garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme and 2 cups oil. Cover both dishes. Bake shallots until tender, about 1 hour. Bake fennel until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• When shallots are baked, drain on paper towels and transfer to baking sheet. Sprinkle with red-wine vinegar and sugar, and return to oven until dry, 2 to 3 minutes. When fennel has baked, remove from heat and keep warm.
• Peel and mince remaining shallot and remaining clove garlic. Place a saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil, and add minced shallot and garlic. Sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Rinse and drain rice and add to pan. Stir until thoroughly coated with oil. Add 1 1/4 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until water is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for a few minutes. Chop roasted shallots. Fluff rice with a fork, and fold in roasted shallots, butter and olives. Keep warm.
• While rice cooks, prepare vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together whole-grain mustard, Dijon mustard, white-wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and broth. Slowly whisk in remaining 1/4 cup oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To serve, cut each fennel bulb into quarters. Divide rice among four plates, and place two pieces of fennel on each plate. Drizzle vinaigrette over and serve.

HERB ROASTED ALASKAN HALIBUT WITH FENNEL CONFIT, NICOISE OLIVES, SWEET PEPPERS AND YUKON GOLD POTATOES

Steps:

• Halibut: Season the halibut with salt and pepper. In a medium saute pan over high heat add the oil. Once heated, add the fish and sear until golden brown. Add butter, thyme, and garlic and baste. Set aside.
• Ragout: In a small saucepot combine the butter, fish fume, diced potatoes and simmer over medium heat. Add fennel, tomatoes, olives and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add a dash of sherry vinegar. Add the roasted peppers and gently warm. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.
• To Plate: In a large bowl place the olive ragout and garnish with the roasted peppers and parsley oil. Place the halibut on top and finish with the scallion.

SLOW-ROASTED DUCK WITH OLIVE GRAVY AND GARLIC-FENNEL CONFIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Season each duck inside and out with salt and pepper. Using knife, skewer, or sharp fork, prick skin of each bird all over 20 to 30 times, taking care not to let knife puncture flesh (it's helpful to hold knife nearly parallel to duck and then slide it in). Stuff each cavity with 1 neck; 1/2 of thyme and garlic; 8 shallot halves; and 1/4 of fennel. Using kitchen string, tie legs loosely together.
• Transfer ducks, breast sides up, to rack set in large roasting pan. Cover loosely with foil and roast 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 300°F and continue to roast, basting every 30 minutes and skimming fat from pan juices occasionally, 3 hours.
• Remove foil from ducks. Stir remaining fennel into pan juices and roast 30 minutes more. Stir olives into pan juices and roast until duck skin is dark golden and crisp and meat is tender, about 30 minutes more (total roasting time: about 4 1/4 hours). Transfer ducks to cutting board.
• Remove rack from roasting pan. With slotted spoon, remove fennel and olives from pan juices and place in blender. Pour pan juices into 1-quart glass measure. Skim fat off top and reserve for another use. Add juices to fennel and olives in blender, then add lemon zest and juice. Purée until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper and additional lemon juice if desired.
• Remove confit vegetables from cavities and carve ducks. Arrange meat and vegetables on platter. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds. Serve sauce alongside.

FENNEL RICE

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a deep, lidded skillet or a wide, lidded saucepan. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in fennel, add a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, until fennel has wilted and softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in rice or bulgur and stir to coat with olive oil.
• Add water, salt, pepper, parsley and dill and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, until rice or bulgur is soft and liquid absorbed. Remove from heat, uncover and place a towel across the top of the pan. Return lid and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve hot, with the remaining olive oil drizzled over the top.

FENNEL AND OLIVE RELISH

Steps:

• Cut stalks from fennel bulbs, then chop enough fronds to measure 1/4 cup. Discard remaining fronds and stalks. Quarter bulbs, then finely chop in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl.
• Stir in remaining ingredients. Let stand 1 hour for flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature.

RICE WITH FENNEL AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Combine rice, water and fennel seed, and bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer, cooking a total of 17 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
• Chop whole onion.
• Heat a medium nonstick skillet until it is very hot, reduce the heat to medium high, add oil and saute onion until it softens and browns.
• Meanwhile, trim stalks from fennel, remove tough outer layer from bulb and cut fennel into julienne strips. Add to onion as it browns, and continue cooking.
• Pit the olives; then, add to the onion and fennel and continue cooking until the rice is done.
• Stir the rice into the onion and fennel, season with salt and pepper and serve.