If you’re looking for an unusual and appealing vegetable dish—one that can be prepared well before serving time—look no further: Braised Fennel With Meyer Lemon. In case your unfamiliar with fennel, here is some background on the vegetable. In your supermarket, you will often find it mislabeled as “anise.” Though they have a similar taste, anise is a completely different plant from fennel. In my Italian family, fennel was always served raw at the end of a big meal to aid in digestion.
Zest and juice one large or two small Meyer lemons.If you can’t find Meyer lemons, just mix a little orange juice and zest with your regular lemon. Some Meyer lemon facts.
Zest the Meyer lemon.
Wash and dry the fennel. Roughly chop about 3 tablespoons of the feathery fronds, which look like dill, and set aside. Cut off the stalks and discard. Halve each bulb through the core, and cut it into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Slice the fennel bulb.
Heat a large skillet and use enough olive oil just to film the pan. Add half of the sliced fennel to the skillet over medium-high heat, and leave it untouched for about 3 minutes.
Sauté the fennel.
Flip or stir the slices, which will separate, until lightly browned.
Lightly brown the fennel.
Remove from the skillet into a bowl.
Do the same with the remaining half, adding a bit more olive oil only if necessary. Remove to the bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the fennel to the skillet over medium-high heat, and add the chicken stock, the Meyer lemon zest and juice, and bring to a boil.
Cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to a syrupy state. The fennel should remain somewhat crisp.
Transfer the fennel to a baking dish, and spread the feathery fronds over the top. Braised Fennel With Meyer Lemon can be made well ahead of serving. Just set the dish aside until about 10 minutes before serving time.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Sprinkle the grated Parmigiano over the Braised Fennel With Meyer Lemon, and bake in the oven just until heated through, about 10 minutes.
Oven-ready Braised Fennel With Meyer Lemon.
