Slow Roasted Char With Fennel Salad Recipes

SLOW-ROASTED CHAR WITH FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Bring vinegar, sugar, caraway seeds, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add garlic. Let sit until garlic is slightly softened, 10-15 minutes.
• Add half of fennel and toss to coat. Let sit until fennel softens slightly and tastes pickled, 8-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place char in a 2- or 3-qt. baking dish and coat with 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until flesh easily flakes apart and a paring knife inserted into fish meets no resistance, 15-18 minutes.
• Drain fennel mixture; discard liquid. Toss in a small bowl with lemon juice, preserved lemon, remaining 3 Tbsp. oil, and remaining fennel; season with salt and pepper. Mix in dill.
• Serve char topped with fennel salad.
• Do Ahead
• Garlic and fennel can be pickled 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

ROASTED FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Trim the fennel, reserving a handful of green fronds. Cut into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan, and, working in batches and seasoning with salt and pepper as you go, fry the fennel on both sides until golden and tender. As the fennel is done, arrange it on a serving platter.
• Zest the orange and set the zest aside. Remove the skin with a sharp knife, taking care to remove all the white pith from the fruit. Discard the peel. Cut out the orange sections, arranging over the fennel, and squeeze the orange juice over the whole salad.
• Slice the onion into paper thin rings and arrange over the salad. Scatter over the olives and pine nuts. Squeeze over lemon juice, to taste. Drizzle over a little more olive oil. Finally, scatter over the reserved fennel fronds. Serve.

FENNEL, ROAST LEMON & TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Slice 1 lemon into thin rounds and spread out on the baking tray, drizzle over 1/2 tbsp oil and sprinkle over the sugar. Roast for 20-25 mins until shrivelled and caramelised in places. Keep an eye on them - you may have to take some out the oven before the others are done. These can be made in the morning and kept at room temperature.
• While the lemons are cooking, roughly chop the tomatoes and thinly slice the fennel, saving the fronds. Put in a bowl with the remaining olive oil, juice from the other lemon and pomegranate seeds. Season to taste, then give everything a good mix.
• When you're ready to serve, roughly chop all the herbs and mix them into the salad along with the roasted lemons and fennel fronds.

ROASTED FENNEL AND GRAPE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Once heated, place walnuts on a sheet pan and cook until toasted and fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer nuts to a cutting board to cool. (You'll use the sheet pan in the next step.)
• Cut the fennel bulbs in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 1-inch wedges (you'll have about 6), taking care to include a bit of core in each slice to hold it together while cooking. Arrange the slices on the sheet pan, ensuring they do not overlap. Add the grapes to a corner of the sheet pan. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the fennel and grapes. Season with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, flipping the fennel and shaking the grapes around at the 20-minute mark. When done, the fennel should be tender and browned; the grapes should be a bit withered and caramelized in some spots. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, roughly chop the cooled walnuts, and set aside while you prepare the dressing: In a small glass jar, combine the shallot, sherry vinegar, orange zest and juice, mustard, salt, black pepper and olive oil. Cover and shake well to combine. Set aside.
• Assemble the salad: Transfer the roasted fennel and grapes to a platter. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the dressing over the roasted fennel and grapes, ensuring the shallot rings are evenly distributed. (Extra dressing can be served alongside.) Top with chopped nuts. Just before serving, grate the Manchego cheese on the largest hole of a box grater. Top salad with Manchego, reserved fennel fronds and a few more cracks of black pepper. Serve immediately.