Fennel Puree Recipes

PAN-ROASTED SALMON WITH FENNEL PUREE

Steps:

• For the fennel: In a medium saucepan, cover the fennel with cold salted water. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, and then lower to a simmer. Cook until very tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well and place in a food processor. Add the olive oil, yogurt and salt. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
• For the salmon: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the salmon fillets with the salt. Place the fillets in the pan, flesh-side down, and sear undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes to create a golden brown crust. Gently flip, and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Salad: In a small bowl, mix together the chopped fennel fronds and parsley and the crispy capers.
• To plate, spread a little of the fennel puree on each of 4 plates. Top with a salmon fillet. Place a little salad on top of each salmon. Squeeze a bit of lemon over the top if desired. Serve immediately.
• Heat 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a small, straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers when swirled. (You can make sure the oil is hot enough by adding one caper to the oil; if it immediately starts to sizzle and pop, the oil is hot enough.) Add the capers to the hot oil and fry until they have popped open and turned golden brown and crispy, about 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, remove the capers to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

FENNEL PUREE

Steps:

• Trim the fennel bulbs of their stalks and bottom root. Halve the fennel lengthwise and slice each half into 1/4-inch thick slices. Peel the potato, halve, and thinly slice. Place the fennel, potatoes, garlic, chicken broth, and milk in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. If needed, add enough water to just cover the fennel. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue cooking until the fennel and potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.
• Drain the fennel mixture. Place the fennel mixture in a food processor and puree. If necessary, place half the mixture in the food processor, pulse to puree, and continue adding the fennel mixture until all the mixture fits in the processor. Continue processing until pureed. Add the mascarpone cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Add the mint and process until just combined. Add more salt and pepper, to taste.
• Transfer the mixture to a serving dish. If the mixture is a little thin stir a few times and let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH FENNEL PUREE

Steps:

• Sear scallops If necessary, remove the small, tough muscle (called the adductor) found on the side of the scallops (often the fishmonger will have removed it), then slice each scallop in half horizontally so that you have twelve pieces. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Season scallops on both sides with salt. When pan is hot, add enough oil to coat bottom of pan (about 1 tablespoon), and swirl to coat evenly. Working in batches to avoid crowding pan, add scallops and quickly jerk the pan to keep them from sticking. Sear until lightly golden, about 45 seconds; with an offset spatula, turn over and cook until opaque throughout, about 30 seconds more (be careful not to turn too soon or the scallops may tear). Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and cover to keep warm (if necessary). Repeat with more oil and remaining scallops.
• Serve Heat fennel puree in a small saucepan over medium heat until warm. Spoon 1 tablespoon puree onto each of 12 small plates and top with a scallop slice. Garnish with fennel fronds, and serve.

BRAISED FENNEL WITH WHITE BEAN PURéE

Steps:

• Prepare the bean purée: Add the beans, 2 1/2 cups Parmesan broth, garlic, salt and white pepper to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to an active simmer and cook 20 minutes, until there is only about 1/4 inch of broth covering the beans. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and purée until smooth, creamy and spoonable. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
• Prepare the braised fennel: Slice the fennel in half lengthwise, and cut each half lengthwise into 3 equal wedges. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the fennel wedges in a single layer, cut-side down. Sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook on the opposite cut side for 3 to 5 minutes. (If your fennel doesn't all fit in the pan, cook the remaining pieces with the shallots in the next step. Do not crowd the pan.) Transfer the cooked fennel to a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook the shallots on their flat side for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until they have a nice sear. Lower the heat if it starts to smoke.
• Return the fennel to the pan, season with kosher salt, sage and red-pepper flakes. Add 1 cup Parmesan broth, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice and being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan, until the vegetables are just tender but cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
• Divide the bean purée among shallow bowls, spreading it in an even layer, and season with another crack of white pepper. Top with braised vegetables and spoon the sauce over top. Garnish with tender fennel fronds and serve.

BRAISED PORK SHOULDER WITH POTATO FENNEL PUREE

Steps:

• Chop enough reserved fennel fronds to measure 1 cup; set aside remaining fronds for garnish. Place chopped fronds in blender. Add olive oil, orange juice, orange peel, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper; blend to paste, scraping down sides of jar occasionally. Sprinkle pork roast on all sides with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Spread fennel paste on all sides of pork to coat. Place pork on plate; chill uncovered overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Arrange pork, fat side up, in large roasting pan. Cover pan with foil. Roast pork 1 hour. Add broth to pan. Arrange potatoes and fennel wedges around pork. Cover pan again and roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 190°F to 200°F, about 2 1/2 hours longer.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer fennel wedges to processor; blend to almost-smooth puree. Transfer potatoes to large microwave-safe bowl; mash until smooth.
• Mix fennel puree and extra-virgin olive oil into potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon pan juices from roasting pan into small saucepan. Spoon off fat and reserve.
• Increase oven temperature to 375°F. Return pork to oven. Roast until top browns, about 20 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes. Meanwhile, rewarm vegetable puree in microwave; transfer puree to serving bowl. Rewarm pan juices; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Slice pork and arrange on platter. Spoon some pan juices over. Garnish platter with fennel fronds. Serve pork with puree, passing pan juices.
• What to drink:
• With the pork, pour a Sangiovese. Try the smooth, medium-bodied Tenuta di Sesta 2007 Rosso di Montalcino (Italy, $17). The wine's fruit and mineral flavors can stand up to the meat.

PUREED FENNEL

Steps:

• Sauté 1 1/2 pounds trimmed and chopped fennel and 1 peeled and chopped onion in 2 tablespoons butter to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add 5 cups stock or water; boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer until fennel is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Cool slightly, purée, strain and refrigerate.
• Garnish: Chopped chervil.

FENNEL PUREE

Steps:

• Cut off and discard upper stem portions of each head of fennel. Cut off and discard the bottom of each head. Cut each head in half and place each half cut side down on a flat surface. Slice each half into half-inch lengths. There should be about 5 cups. Put the fennel in a large saucepan.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3/4-inch cubes. There should be about 2 cups. Put cubes into cold water to prevent discoloration. Drain potatoes and add them to fennel. Add water to cover and salt to taste.
• Bring to a boil and cook about 15 minutes or until fennel and potatoes are tender. Drain thoroughly. Puree, preferably in a food mill; a food processor can also be used. Then put mixture back into the saucepan. Add butter, salt, pepper, parsley and nutmeg and heat briefly, stirring until butter is melted.

FENNEL PUREE

Steps:

• Boil In a small pot, combine chopped fennel and milk. Bring to just under a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until fennel is completely tender (it should not offer any resistance when pierced with the tip of a knife) but not falling apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain in a sieve, reserving liquid.
• Puree Combine fennel and 1/4 cup reserved liquid in a blender, and blend on high speed until smooth, about 4 minutes. Add more liquid a tablespoon or so at a time as necessary to keep the blender running smoothly.
• Strain Transfer to a fine sieve set over a large bowl or liquid measuring cup and press with a rubber spatula to extract as much puree as possible. Discard remaining solids and rinse sieve thoroughly. Return puree to the sieve and set over a bowl to drain for 1 1/2 hours longer.
• Serve Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until warmed through. Stir in butter, if desired, and serve.
• Trim 1 head cauliflower and cut into florets, then prepare as directed above (for fennel), seasoning with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg along with salt and ground white pepper to finish. (Makes about 1 1/4 cups.)

YUKON GOLD AND FENNEL PUREE WITH ROSEMARY BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine fennel, onion, oil, and 1 teaspoon sea salt in large bowl; toss. Spread in single layer on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle with pepper. Roast until fennel and onion are very tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer fennel mixture to processor and puree until almost smooth.
• Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Cool slightly. Place in large bowl and mash with potato masher until smooth. Mix in fennel puree.
• Melt butter with rosemary and 1 teaspoon sea salt in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir butter mixture into fennel-potato puree. Mix in crème fraîche. Season to taste with more pepper and salt, if desired. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Transfer puree to large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill. Before serving, microwave on high until heated through, about 4 minutes.
• Sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

PARSNIP FENNEL PURéE

Steps:

• In a saucepan cover parsnips and fennel with salted water and boil, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until very tender. Drain vegetables well in a large sieve. In a food processor purée hot vegetables with butter and salt and pepper to taste.