We love them, I pick up a clamshell every trip to Trader Joe's while they are available. I just slice and roast them with a bit of olive oil until they are soft and starting to carmelize.

LOL, I bought fennel at TJ's last week and was just googling recipes. I've never cooked fennel...was going to braise some in wine w/garlic to have with steak and salad tonight. Cookstove oven is 400+...maybe I'll roast it.

Mmmm, love it. I eat it raw more than I do cooked, but I like it both ways.

I also usually just roast fennel with other vegetables, they go wonderfully with sweet potatoes.

Annie

We like fennel too and I have always roasted it with other veggies or braised in white wine or used in a potato gratin (about two thirds potato and one third fennel).

Last week I made a gratin using only fennel as the vegetable, I looked at a number of online recipes, most of which used LOTS of cream, and then settled on the one I linked. I cut the recipe in half since there are only two of us and used one and a half cups of lowfat milk and half a cup of Half and Half. I didn't use the fennel seed and was generous with the parm - probably more than the recipe called for. We liked it a lot.

Lee

Here is a link that might be useful: Fennel baked in milk

Wedges of fennel and thickly sliced zucchini on diagonal - salt/pepper and sauted in olive oil until browned makes a great combo. Squeeze of lemon and a bit of parm cheese at the end.

I make a bread stuffing with fennel, shiitakes, carrots, celery and onions. Chopped fresh rosemary, sage and thyme (or when I'm lazy, poultry seasoning). I don't cook any of the veggies - just toss everything together with cubed stale baguette in a well buttered casserole - lay chicken quarters on top and roast until done. Salt & pepper the chicken. Juices from the chicken moisten the bread and the veggies steam below the meat. It's yummy. Use lots of butter on the dish.

I've been adding finely sliced fennel to a pasta sauce with Italian sausage and have been happy with the result.

Fennel is great roasted with carrots - salt/pepper/olive oil.

seagrass

I make fennel in some of the ways listed above, including pasta sauce. Here are a couple of other recipes we like.

FISH WITH ORANGE AND FENNEL - serves 2

1 lb. red snapper fillets *
1 tsp. EV olive oil
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 Tbs. Pernod **
1 navel orange, peeled and sliced, each slice cut into quarters
1 large fennel bulb, rinsed and finely chopped
1 large red onion, halved root end to stem end and very thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh fennel greens, rinsed and finely chopped

Slice the fish into two or four equal pieces and place in a small oiled baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with Pernod. Mix together the remaining ingredients and scatter evenly over the fillets.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or 10 minutes per inch of thickness including the vegetables. Test with fork to determine when the fish is opaque, milky white, and cooked through. Serve immediately on warmed plates.

* - redfish, striped bass, halibut, grouper, rockfish, drum, porgy or monkfish can be substituted for the snapper.
** - Pernod, the anise-flavored apertif, reinforces the flavor of the fennel. Use lime juice if Pernod is unavailable but the flavor will be different. I've also used anisette.

TOMATO-FENNEL CONSOMME - makes about 6 cups

4 medium-sized fennel bulbs (about 4 pounds)
2 medium-sized onions (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into chunks
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt (less if using canned tomatoes
6 medium-sized ripe tomatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), chopped - or three 14 1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes
a pinch or two of cayenne (optional)
Croutons (optional)

Remove the leafy tops from the fennel, and set aside. Cut the fennel bulbs into chunks. Place them in a food processor with the onions, and pulse together until finely minced. (You can also do this by hand.)

Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the chopped onion-fennel mixture and the salt, and saut� over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Lightly rinse out the food processor bowl and set aside to use again later.

Add the water and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Transfer the soup to the food processor and puree. Carefully strain into a large-ish bowl (if you plan to serve this cold) or another saucepan (if you're serving it hot). Don't press too hard on the vegetables, so the consomme stays clear. Season to taste with cayenne.

Heat or chill the soup, depending upon your taste and the weather. Garnish each serving with some of the feathery fennel tops, minced into tiny bits with scissors. You can also float some croutons on top, if you like.

Source: Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and recipes. I am making lamb roast today and found a recipe that cooks the fennel with the lamb that I will try.
Clare

Ruthanna - thanks for posting that Fish with Orange and Fennel recipe. We have striped bass in the freezer and at Christmas we paid an exhorbitant amount for a bottle of Pernod for a fish stew I wanted to try. Now I can't wait to pair the fish, fennel, Pernod and oranges.

Bon Appétit!!

seagrass

I never thought I would like fennel because of my aversion to all things that just barely smack of licorice. But I have had it roasted with other vegetables and liked it fine. Whether or not I would buy it in the store....that's another question all together. LOL!

Teresa

Fennel is good with fish. Here is another fish and fennel recipe. It has a very delicate flavor.

FISH SOUP

DB will not eat fennel, and so I don't buy it, but I do like it okay. When I've made it, I parboiled it whole first for about 5 minutes and then sliced it and sauteed it. Parboiling makes the flavor a bit mellower, I think. I do not like a strong licorice flavor either. I think braising would be good because I would expect them to caramelize and get somewhat sweet, similar to the way onions do.

Lars