Fennel is also really good braised in the oven. Just cut up a few bulbs and scatter in a oven-safe dish. Put about a 1/2 cup of stock arround them, with 1/2 cup grated Parm and 1/4 stick of butter and salt/pepper and roast at 350 for about 45 minutes. Fennel gets golden and sweet and is awesome with roast pork or chicken or fish.

I don't know the scientific explanation but BUTTER MADE IT GOOD.

I particularly like this recipe for white bean and fennel soup, which is more like Patrick B's braised fennel than the Pen & Fork salad.

I think that article is wrong about one thing: I have fennel seeds in my pantry and they are not anise seeds, they are fennel seeds. (They are very similar, though.) What's commonly called "sweet anise" is actually fennel, and the few times I've seen bulbs in my supermarket labeled "anise", they've actually been fennel.

Yum.

3) I remember you linking to that piece...and I sent it out to all the cooking nerds I know...still haven't tried it but it looks damn good.

[3] i, too, love white bean and fennel soup. (what the hell is white bean and fennel soup? ick!)

i've roasted fennel before as a side to fish. i thought it turned out well.

[1] thanks patrick - i'm going to try with the parm as a side to roast pork.

[3] does sound damn good.

[2] sneaky simpsons. nice.

[6] Cool, try it, you'll like it. The other nice thing is that when it's done cooking the braising liquid is pretty much fennel jus that you can spoon over the roast pork. It's also the perfect side to veal or chicken saltimbocca.

sausage and fennel stuffing is good eats too.
diced fennel with diced onion, apple, thyme, sage, breadcrumbs, etc.

I make it more as a casserole than a side dish.

[5] Dude, the recipe is only for people who actually eat soup. (However, it is strictly kosher.)

7) BUSTED!

Happy Birthday Mattpat11, wherever you are hanging out today!