Wood Fired Recipes Community Cookbook
Spicy Roasted Fennel With Basil and Pumpkin Seeds
Apr 10, 2012Posted by guestchefPrintLet us all now take a moment to appreciate the humble but supremely versatile fennel plant. Its bulb can be shaved and eaten raw, or cooked in pretty much whatever manner you see fit. Its fronds are used as an herb, its seeds as a spice. Beat that, other vegetables. I like the combination of fennel and spicy flavors, so that’s what we have here, along with basil, whose anise flavor complements fennel nicely.
Spicy Roasted Fennel With Basil and Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 2 large Fennel bulbs
- 1 tsp chipotle pepper in adobo plus 1of the adobo sauce
- 1 serrano chile seeded and sliced
- 6-8 basil leaves
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 T pumpkin seeds roasted and salted
- salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Use a peeler to remove the sometimes dry outer layer of the fennel. Cut each bulb in quarters through the root end. Then, cutting at an angle, remove the wedge of core from each quarter that is holding the layers of fennel together. Slice the fennel into a rough julienne shape.
- Preheat a large saute pan or roasting pan in a hot wood oven. Meanwhile, mince the chipotle. For those not familiar, chipotles in adobo are jalapenos that are smoked and dried, then cooked in a rich garlicky sauce. Look for small cans of them in the Hispanic food aisle of your market. Slice the serrano in half and remove the seeds with a spoon, then slice into half moons. Cut the basil into a chiffonade: Stack the basil leaves on top of each other, roll them into a cigar shape, and then cut into thin strips.
- When your cooking vessel is hot, add the olive oil and then the sliced fennel. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is almost tender and nicely caramelized, about 8-10 minutes depending on the temperature of your oven.
- Add the minced chipotle, adobo sauce and sliced serrano to the pan and cook for one minute more. Remove from the oven and stir in the fresh basil. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the top.
Notes
This would be a great side dish for roasted chicken or fish. It would even be a great topping choice for your next taco night. Try it with anything – it’s versatile.
