Annabel's Pantry

Fennel

Its crisp texture and light anise flavour make an excellent match to seafood, chicken, olives, parmesan and feta cheeses, tarragon, mint, tomatoes, pernod, pasta, cream, olive oil and all kinds of vinegar.

Choose tight fresh bulbs – round and fat bulbs are female, longer thinner specimens are male. If the outer skin of the bulb looks dirty or is damaged cut it off. Otherwise just wash and slice. For a great autumn fennel and walnut slaw, halve bulbs and then slice lengthwise as thinly as possible. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt to soften for 10-15 minutes then rinse well and mix with chopped walnuts, chopped mint leaves, thinly sliced spring onions, some currants soaked in orange juice and a little olive oil.

Sliced finely and gently sautéed fennel makes an excellent addition to any kind of seafood stew or soup (add a splash of pernod, stock, canned tomatoes and a little saffron). Pork is another happy partner to fennel, and a loin of pork with fennel and apples makes a terrific weekend dish, with the pork cooked slowly on a bed of sliced fennel and apples with a little apple juice or stock.

Fennel seeds can be collected from wild plants and dried. Use in cakes and biscuits, curries, tagines and spice mixtures.

You'll find recipes using delicious fennel:

THE BEST OF ANNABEL LANGBEIN BOOK - NEW EDITION
• Chicken and fennel orzo bake - page 309
• Spice trail biscotti - page 299
• Sweet grape focaccia ´ page 30

Assemble - SENSATIONAL FOOD MADE SIMPLE
• Feta, chilli and fennel dip - page 23
• Smoked salmon and caper pate - page 23
• Moroccan lamb with cinnamon and apricots - page 142
• Moroccan lamb and apricot shanks ´ page 142

SAVOUR ITALY
• Osso Bucco of veal or lamb - pg 114
• Fennel roast pork with sweet sour sauce - page 117
• Fresh fennel and cos salad ´ page 66

SAVOUR THE PACIFIC
• Fijian potato omelette ´ page 29