To be honest, I’d never really had fennel up until about a month ago. I’d had fennel seeds in dishes before, but whenever I saw fennel bulbs for sale at the grocery store I am embarrassed to admit that I always just thought it was some kind of giant dill. But back in October at our upstate New York workshop, Carey whipped up a little something that blew away all my misconceptions about the vegetable. You see, she sliced the bulbs up and caramelized them. Yes, caramelized them. Like an onion. Slow-cooked in butter and olive oil until they’re lightly transparent and just golden around the edges, they loose the brightness of their anise-like flavor and gain something more sultry, warm, and savory-sweet in exchange.

Caramelized Fennel Bulbs With Goat's Cheese by Eva Kosmas Flores

There’s still the smallest hint of anise after the caramelization, and it pairs beautifully with the melted tangy goat cheese topping that gets crumbled over these guys. And when you toss in some fresh dill and lemon zest, you have the most wonderful sweet-sour-savory-herbal appetizer around. It’s wonderfully easy to make, just slice up the bulb and put it in a wide pan with some butter and olive oil. Flip a few times to cook evenly, and toss with other delicious things before serving. Most of the time spent making the dish is just sitting in the kitchen peering at your iPhone while you’re waiting for the fennel bulbs to finish caramelizing. It’s a great appetizer to make if you’re preparing other dishes simultaneously (hint hint, Thanksgiving) because the bulbs can sit there simmering in the pan while you’re tending to a few other dishes in the meantime.

Caramelized Fennel Bulbs With Goat's Cheese by Eva Kosmas Flores

This recipe is from the incredibly rich and vibrant cookbook Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. Not a vegetarian himself, he wrote this astounding encyclopedia of vegetarian dishes that compounds their flavors in a dazzling and seasonal array of food that is at once both beautiful and ridiculously tasty. Keeping most of the recipes quite simple like this one, the instructions are straightforward, warm, and easy to follow, and it’s a great guide for those who are looking to incorporate more vegetables into their lives but are scratching their heads a bit about just where and how to start. And with that recommendation I have some good news as well, if you have a tablet or e-reader, the e-cookbook of Plenty is currently on sale for $3.99 as a part of Chronicle Books ‘Eye Candy’ rotating e-cookbook sale. Huzzah!! A ridiculously good deal for a book with over 120 dishes in it, if I do say so myself. And with that I will leave you with to your vegetable conquests, and wish you the best of luck in your Thanksgiving meal-planning bonanza.

Caramelized Fennel Bulbs With Goat's Cheese

This simple one-pot appetizer creates the most delicious fennel you'll ever have. It involves caramelizing them in a pan until they're tender, golden, and have developed a deep and rich flavor. Just top with a bit of chevre and lemon zest and enjoy!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword caramelized fennel

Servings 4 people

Calories 301 kcal

Author Eva Kosmas Flores

Ingredients

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 large fennel bulbs about 2 1/4 pounds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh fennel fronds
4 ounces goat cheese
1 tablespoon lemon zest freshly grated

Instructions

Cut the stems and fronds off the fennel bulbs and set them aside for later. Cut the fennel bulbs vertically into 1/4-inch thick slices. Mix together the sugar, salt, and pepper in a small dish and set aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide and shallow pan until hot. (You will likely either need to work in two batches, or you could use two wide pans on two burners simultaneously, adding enough olive oil to each pan to cover the bottom in a thin even layer.)
Add a single layer of the fennel bulb slices and sprinkle with half the sugar mixture, then flip them and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, then increase the heat to medium high and continue cooking until the fennel is golden on the bottom. Cover, remove from heat, and allow to sweat for 5 minutes so the fennel can sit in and re-absorb their juices.
Sprinkle the serving platter with half the fennel fronds and half the goat's cheese, then place the caramelized fennel bulbs on top, and sprinkle with the remaining half of the fronds, the goat cheese and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Caramelized Fennel Bulbs With Goat's Cheese

Amount Per Serving

Calories 301 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 15g

Cholesterol 13mg4%

Sodium 778mg34%

Potassium 740mg21%

Carbohydrates 16g5%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 545IU11%

Vitamin C 23mg28%

Calcium 129mg13%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Discussion

Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says:

What a stunning dish. I'm smitten!

Eva Kosmas says:

Thank you Marissa! 🙂

Marcella says:

Your photos are gorgeous. I love how dark and moody they are

Thank you so much, Marcella 🙂

Eileen says:

Caramelized fennel?? Such a good idea! And lucky me, I already have a couple heads of fennel in my crisper. This may have to happen!

Ohhhh perfect!! 😀 You will love it, this stuff is as easy as it is addicting.

Kari @ Cooking with Toddlers says:

This looks so delicious!

Thanks Kari! 🙂

Shelly @ Vegetarian ‘Ventures says:

Stunning recipe! My parents cooked fennel for me often times growing up but I have to admit that I haven't cooked with it since being on my own – thanks for the reminder about it!

That is awesome! I don't think my parents ever used fennel bulbs, which is too bad since they're such a tasty ad versatile veggie. Hope you get reacquainted with them again soon 🙂

Katie says:

Thanks for the heads up on the Chronicle sale! I downloaded both Plenty and Tartine, both of which somehow never made it to my cookbook shelf (which is probably good given how full it is).

Jessica Taylor says:

Looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe! 🙂 Like your photos.
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Sini | My Blue+White Kitchen says:

I love fennel, especially roasted in the oven until caramelized. In other words, this dish basically calls my name! I'm not really surprised to hear that this recipe is from Plenty; it's a fantastic book filled with awesome vegetarian recipes. One of my absolute favorites. Wishing you a lovely, not too busy Thanksgiving week!

Aysegul Sanford says:

I can't say I am a big fan of fennel, but this one looks (and sounds) incredible.
I just bought the Plenty More and it is a page turner.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and to your family Eva.
Cheers!

LHK says:

This looks wonderful. Wondering if you can provide an estimated time for this step, "Cook until transparent." I tend to have more success with a new recipe when an approximate time is given. Thank you!

donna bailey says:

Goat cheese? I'm in! Sounds amazing. Water mouthing dish
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tabletwentyeight.com says:

Gorgeous photos – and what a cracking combination of flavours. I love pairing caramelised fennel with other antipasto flavours like sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic and charred vegies (in pasta or quiches or salads)…
I'm also a big Ottolenghi fan and have just bought his latest book, Plenty More, which is another incredible bible of full-flavoured vegetarian dishes – delish!

sarah says:

Is this still tasty when eaten cold?Considering adding it to our Christmas menu and top a salad with them.What a great recipe!

Ralph says:

Can you serve this cold?

Eva Kosmas Flores says:

Hi there Ralph! I feel like this dish is best served warm

Caramelized Fennel Bulbs With Goat’s Cheese