At the market or in the produce section, when the elegant celadon-green fennel bulb beckons, I never resist. I’ve had a love affair with fennel ever since I can remember, or at least for a very long time.
It is a vegetable that is still underappreciated in this country, as opposed to Italy, where it is as common as cauliflower. If I can help boost its status here, I am happy to do so.
You can eat fennel all year, but it is best from fall to spring. It grows well in cool weather, in temperate climates, so this time of year there is a nearly constant supply, even if it does come from California or Florida.
The mildly licorice-scented bulb is delicious raw or cooked, so it has many uses, from salad to soup to side dish. For the simplest uncooked preparation, try it thinly sliced with a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Or pair it with sweet oranges and watercress.
Here it is briefly blanched, then baked with mozzarella, Parmesan and breadcrumbs, a fine thing to do with many a vegetable. The flavor is kicked up with fennel seed, garlic, peperoncino and rosemary — and, of course, a little olive oil.
Baked fennel emerges from the oven crisp, golden and fragrant. Sometimes I serve it as a vegetarian main course, surrounded with stir-fried greens like kale or broccoli rabe, and a spoonful of soft polenta. It is good, too, with a light tomato sauce perked up with capers or anchovy.
But you can also send it to the table alongside a roast chicken or pork loin, or with Italian sausages. Expect raves.
FENNEL AL FORNO
4 medium fennel bulbs, about 2½ lbs., topped, a few green fronds reserved
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more to oil the baking pan
½ tsp. fennel seed, crushed or roughly powdered in a mortar or spice mill
3 garlic cloves
⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes
½ tsp. chopped rosemary, plus 2 tsp. rosemary leaves
½ lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced or shredded
¼ cup coarse dry homemade breadcrumbs from an Italian or French loaf
½ cup grated Parmesan (about 1½ oz.)
2 tbsp. chopped parsley, or a mixture of parsley and fennel fronds
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove a thin layer of the fennel bulbs’ tough exterior with a paring knife or sharp vegetable peeler. Cut the fennel crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Boil the fennel for 1 minute, then put it in a bowl of cold water, drain and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly oil an ovenproof baking dish. Layer in the fennel to a depth of 1½ inches (pushing down, if necessary).
In a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons olive oil, the fennel seed and the garlic, smashed to a paste with a little salt, the pepper flakes and the chopped rosemary. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of this mixture over the fennel. Sprinkle with the rosemary leaves. Cover with a layer of sliced or shredded mozzarella, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Drizzle the remaining oil mixture, then sprinkle with Parmesan. (The dish may be prepared to this point several hours before baking.)
Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned. Garnish with the chopped parsley or a mixture of the parsley and fennel fronds.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
