I made this delicious and healthy Lemon Braised Fennel recipe to pair with my Easy Herb Roasted Chicken. The combination was just about perfect. The usually strong anise/licorice flavor you think of with uncooked fennel is mellowed dramatically by braising. Lemon and white wine compliment the already complex, sweetly perfumed quality of the fennel, and its character becomes both delicate and soothing.
Loaded with antioxidants, vitamins A and C, along with loads of potassium and calcium, braised fennel is as healthy as it is flavorful. Fennel may just be the most underrated and underutilized vegetables I can think of. I know you’ve seen it in the produce section of your grocery store and if you’ve never bought it, you need to.
This weekend, buy some fennel and make this Braised Fennel and my Easy Herb Roasted Chicken. You’ll be happy you did.
Here’s my Braised Fennel recipe
Lemon Braised Fennel
The usually strong anise/licorice flavor you think of with uncooked fennel is mellowed dramatically by braising. Lemon and white wine compliment the already complex, sweetly perfumed quality of the fennel, and it’s character becomes both delicate and soothing.
Servings 4
Calories 228kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Fennel Blubs Halved
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 Cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
- 1 Cup White Wine
- Fresh Thyme Sprigs
- 2 Lemons
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Trim the tops from the fennel, slice in half from top to bottom so that you have two wide thin pieces approximately 1-inch thick.
- Lay the fennel, cut side up, in a small casserole dish, I use a 3-quart casserole
- Pour the stock, wine and the juice of one lemon into the casserole dish with the fennel
- Cut the second lemon into thin slices
- Drizzle the fennel with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lay the lemon slices on top with the fresh thyme
- Place into a preheated oven at 400°F
- Depending on the size of the fennel, it can take 45-minutes to an hour. Braise until the root end of the fennel is tender and can easily be pierced with the tip of a knife
Nutrition
Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 904mg | Potassium: 791mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2mg
