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Fabulous fennel

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Its crunchy bulbs are great raw or roasted; the delicate feathery leaves lend a liquorice flavour to salads, vegetables and fish dishes; and, if all else fails, the leafy stems make great herbal arrangements.

Article: Justine Drake from SHAPE

FENNEL FANCIES

Trim bases and tops of 8 fennel bulbs, leaving 5cm of plant. Blanch in boiling, salted water for 3 minutes, drain well. Tip a can of chopped tomatoes into an ovenproof dish, stir in 12 de-pipped Calamata olives, season and lay fennel on top. Sprinkle with grated Pecorino, chopped garlic and wholewheat breadcrumbs, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 180×C for about 30 minutes. (Cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly) Serve straight from the oven with crusty bread or as a side dish to a roast.

Sauté sliced shallots and fennel bulbs into olive oil and stir into creamy risotto.

Finely dice fennel bulbs, add a handful of fennel fronds and flavour with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, sea salt and milled pepper. Serve as a salsa with fish or veal.

Separate and trim the fennel bulb - place fennel pieces onto a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and milled pepper. Roast in a pre-heated 180×C oven until softened. Arrange on individual plates, scatter with shaved Parmesan and serve with crusty ciabatta bread.

Add finely sliced fennel bulbs to the sautéeing onion when making fish and seafood soups. Fennel is a traditional addition to French bouillabaisse (tomato-based seafood soup) and Italian bourride (tomato-based seafood stew).

Pan-fry fennel seeds with baby carrots, add a dash of white wine or Vermouth and cook until tender.

Add a few toasted fennel seeds or fennel powder to any and all Indian curries.

Arrange a bed of sliced fennel bulbs and leaves on the bottom of a baking tray, top with fresh fish, add a splash of wine, a dash of olive oil and seasoning, and bake in a hot oven until cooked.

Sauté chopped fennel bulb with onion and a little garlic, add to cooked rice, season well and stir in chopped fennel fronds and a handful of Italian parsley.

Whip up a light side salad (below): slice fennel bulbs, toss with lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning. Stir in lots of roughly chopped Italian parsley and a handful of crumbled feta cheese. Serve on a bed of mixed leaves.

HEALTH

Chew the seeds to freshen the breath, or make an infusion to ease flatulence and colic in young children.

Fennel is said to prevent heartburn and indigestion in adults.

Fennel leaves have substantial amounts of iron and calcium, as well as vitamin C, folic acid and carotene.

FENNEL TIPS

The bulbs should be nicely rounded - a flat- bellied fennel bulb is immature

Choose fennel that is crisp, clean and fresh. No limp leaves or bruises.

Cut surfaces will brown when exposed to the air, so drop into acidulated water - add a squeeze of lemon or vinegar to the water.

Photograph: Wayne Keet/ Shape magazine