With a delicate flavor and rich texture, fennel is
surprisingly versatile — and nutritious.
Fennel
By CARY NEFF
According to Greek legend, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and delivered it to human
beings in a hollow stalk of fennel. Medieval monks cultivated the plant for its medicinal properties.
Today, this storied vegetable brings great flavor and nutrition to your table.
Food Basics
Fennel is native to the Mediterranean and southwest Asia
and is related to carrots, coriander, dill and parsley. Fennel
seeds, known for their licorice-like flavor, are used as a
spice. Florence fennel, or finocchio — with its white or
pale-green bulbous base, light green stalks, and feathery
foliage — is eaten as a vegetable and herb. Commonly
mislabeled “anise” or “sweet anise” because of its aroma,
Florence fennel has a more delicate flavor than anise,
which becomes even lighter when cooked.
The entire plant is edible. The bulb, stalks and leaves
are eaten as vegetables; the foliage, which tastes citrusy,
can be used as a fragrant garnish. When purchasing, look
for crisp bulbs, firm stalks and colorful greenery. If there are
flowering buds on the fronds, the vegetable is past maturity.
Nutritional Know-How
Long cultivated as a medicinal plant for its digestive properties, fennel gets its flavor from anethole, a phytonutri-ent compound that has been shown in studies to reduce
inflammation and prevent cancer. Fennel also delivers
a strong antioxidant punch, thanks to a combination of
other phytonutrients, including kaempferol glycosides and
the flavonoids rutin and quercetin. Fennel is an excellent
source of vitamin C, which supports the immune system,
and a variety of minerals. It’s also high in fiber, which
enhances colon health.
Eat Up!
The fennel bulb can be used raw and julienned in
salads, or sliced and included on a vegetable hors
d’oeuvre tray.
Roasted fennel makes a great side dish for roasted
chicken, fish, lamb or pork, or in soups and stews. To
roast, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place ¼-inch
sliced fennel on baking sheet and lightly coat with
olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes, stir and continue
roasting another 15 minutes until lightly browned
and softened.
Fennel stems can be finely chopped and used in
soups, stocks and stews.
Chop fennel fronds and use as a fresh herb in salads,
marinades and dips.
To add a subtle flavor to grilled items, mix olive oil,
chopped fresh fennel fronds, and salt and pepper, then
coat grilled meat, tofu, tempeh or vegetables with the
mixture using additional fennel fronds as a brush.
Kitchen Tricks To prepare fennel, cut off stems at the crown of the bulb. Slice off the base of the fennel bulb about ¼-inch from bottom. Cut the fen- nel in half and rinse well. Remove the hard core in the center of the bulb before continu- ing to slice. Store fresh fennel in the refrigerator crisper, where it should keep for about four days. Fronds should be gently wrapped in a paper towel and stored in a Ziplock bag, also in the vegetable crisper. Dried fennel seeds should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry location, where they will keep for about six months. Storing fennel seeds in the refrigerator will help to keep them fresh longer.
WEB EXTRA!
For details on how to prepare Orange Fennel Salad,
Creamy Fennel Soup and Tomato Fennel Broth, see the
online version of this article at experiencelifemag.com.
Chef Cary Neff is the president of the consulting firm Culinary Innovations and the
author of the New York Times bestseller Conscious Cuisine (Sourcebooks, 2002).
