I got fennel in my farm box this week and wasn’t sure what to do with it. However, I knew it goes well with fish, so I made fish cakes. To add more color and of course nutrients I made mashed sweet potato and carrots.
Fish cakes:
Ingredients:
one tablespoon of old bay seasoning
3 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 lb cod
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
fresh lemon juice
1/2 a chopped spring onion
Method:
Mix cod with all the above ingredients
Make patties and lightly saute in olive oil for about 7 min on each side.
Fennel:
Slice the fennel, drizzle with salt and pepper, balamic vinegar and olive oil and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
This lovely and very simple recipe come from Louise of Fed and Watered a British Food Blogger:
Salt and pepper. Tomato and basil. Gin and tonic. Enduring combinations that avoid the tag of cliché by simply working. And, as I further my ambition to become a fish lover, I’m learning that the ideal partner for cod isn’t chips, but fennel.
This dinner begins with a fennel bulb trimmed, sliced into four (with the fluffy tops reserved for later) and arranged in a roasting tray with peas, runner beans sliced lengthways, and a thickly-shredded little gem lettuce.
Next, grate two big cloves of garlic over the top and dot over knobs of butter before dousing everything in a good dry white wine (I poured mine through the grater to rinse off the remaining garlic – good, no?) and seasoning. And that’s about as much effort as is required for the sauce.
The vegetables will take around 20 minutes so loosely cover your tray with foil and leave in the oven for about five minutes before laying fillets of cod on top and returning to the oven for another 15. About a minute before time’s up, sprinkle the reserved fennel tops over the fish and squeeze over little lemon juice.
I had two fillet of cod to myself so I didn’t think carbs were necessary but if you can’t go without, try some herbed new potatoes.
You might not know it from the weather, but spring is on its way, and along with the frenzied cleaning of apartments and homes, shaking out of rugs, and stowing of wool sweaters, soon we’ll be lightening up our meals, as well, and trading in the earthy, warm dishes that comfort us in the winter months for cool, fresh tastes from new gardens. This preparation, from Real Simple magazine, is full of clean and bright spring flavors, and is excellent both warm from the oven, or at room temperature as a satisfying lunch. This serves four.
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large roasting pan (I use a cast-iron skillet), toss the fennel, lemons, and garlic in a tablespoon of oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and then roast in the oven until the fennel begins to soften, around 8 - 10 minutes.
2. Rinse the fillets under cold running water, and pat dry with a paper towel. Dust them with salt and pepper and then nestle them into the fennel. Return the pan to the oven and roast the salmon until it is opaque all the way through but not dry, between 12-15 minutes.
3. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins into a small bowl and mash them to a paste. Squeeze out the lemon pulp, removing any seeds, and add the pulp and juice to the bowl with the garlic. Stir in the honey, rosemary, remaining oil, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
4. Arrange the greens on serving plates, and place the salmon and fennel on the greens. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
Recommended pairings: soft sourdough rolls or ciabatta, pomegranate spritzers, Sauvignon Blanc, black sesame crackers, sharp dry cheese.
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