Giadas Fennel Puree Recipes

Steps:

• For the fennel: In a medium saucepan, cover the fennel with cold salted water. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, and then lower to a simmer. Cook until very tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well and place in a food processor. Add the olive oil, yogurt and salt. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
• For the salmon: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the salmon fillets with the salt. Place the fillets in the pan, flesh-side down, and sear undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes to create a golden brown crust. Gently flip, and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Salad: In a small bowl, mix together the chopped fennel fronds and parsley and the crispy capers.
• To plate, spread a little of the fennel puree on each of 4 plates. Top with a salmon fillet. Place a little salad on top of each salmon. Squeeze a bit of lemon over the top if desired. Serve immediately.
• Heat 1/4-inch vegetable oil in a small, straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers when swirled. (You can make sure the oil is hot enough by adding one caper to the oil; if it immediately starts to sizzle and pop, the oil is hot enough.) Add the capers to the hot oil and fry until they have popped open and turned golden brown and crispy, about 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, remove the capers to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Steps:

• For the pickled fennel: Quarter the fennel bulb and cut out the core. Slice thinly across the fiber into quarter circles. In a medium bowl, toss together the fennel, salt, orange zest, orange juice and cider vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. At this point, the fennel is ready to use or it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• For the salad: In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, olives, apples, pickled fennel with its juices, and olive oil. Toss gently with your hands or a wooden spoon.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the fennel in the dish. Sprinkle with the salt, lemon zest and garlic. Top with the parmesan cheese and drizzle with the olive oil.
• Bake until the fennel is fork-tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Chop enough fennel fronds to equal 2 teaspoons, then sprinkle over the roasted fennel along with the pomegranate seeds.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly oil the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the fennel in the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with the Parmesan. Drizzle with the oil. Bake until the fennel is fork-tender and the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Chop enough fennel fronds to equal 2 teaspoons, then sprinkle over the roasted fennel and serve.

Steps:

• Trim the fennel bulbs of their stalks and bottom root. Halve the fennel lengthwise and slice each half into 1/4 inch thick slices. Peel the potato, halve, and thinly slice. Place the fennel, potatoes, garlic, chicken broth, and milk in large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. If needed, add enough water to just cover the fennel. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue cooking until the fennel and potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.
• Drain the fennel mixture. Place the fennel mixture in a food processor and puree. If necessary, place half the mixture in the food processor, pulse to puree, and continue adding the fennel mixture until all the mixture fits in the processor. Continue processing until pureed. Add the mascarpone cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Add the mint and process until just combined. Add more salt and pepper, to taste.
• Transfer teh mixture to a serving dish. If the mixture is a little thin stir a few times and let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stretch the pizza dough to fit the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Evenly distribute the clementine slices, shaved fennel and fennel seeds over the dough, pushing them gently into the dough. Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and drizzle with an additional teaspoon of olive oil if desired.
• Bake the focaccia until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

Steps:

• Prepare the bean purée: Add the beans, 2 1/2 cups Parmesan broth, garlic, salt and white pepper to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to an active simmer and cook 20 minutes, until there is only about 1/4 inch of broth covering the beans. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and purée until smooth, creamy and spoonable. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
• Prepare the braised fennel: Slice the fennel in half lengthwise, and cut each half lengthwise into 3 equal wedges. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the fennel wedges in a single layer, cut-side down. Sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook on the opposite cut side for 3 to 5 minutes. (If your fennel doesn't all fit in the pan, cook the remaining pieces with the shallots in the next step. Do not crowd the pan.) Transfer the cooked fennel to a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook the shallots on their flat side for 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until they have a nice sear. Lower the heat if it starts to smoke.
• Return the fennel to the pan, season with kosher salt, sage and red-pepper flakes. Add 1 cup Parmesan broth, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice and being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan, until the vegetables are just tender but cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
• Divide the bean purée among shallow bowls, spreading it in an even layer, and season with another crack of white pepper. Top with braised vegetables and spoon the sauce over top. Garnish with tender fennel fronds and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Clean and cut the fennel bulbs: cut them horizontally into 1/3 inch thick slices and reserve the fronds.
• Take the reserved fennel fronds and chop enough of them to make 2 teaspoons; set aside.
• Spray the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish with olive oil.
• Lay the fennel slices in the dish, making sure that all the pieces are touching the bottom so that they roast rather than steam when they're cooking.
• Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, then with the Parmesan.
• Drizzle with the olive oil and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees F, until the fennel is tender and the Parmesan is golden brown.
• Transfer roasted fennel to serving platter, sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons chopped reserved fennel fronds, and serve.