Recipe & Pic from Ottolenghi
This delectable fennel would be perfect as a salad side-dish, but you could also mix it into a pile of pasta with some fennel frond pesto!
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 fennel bulbs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small shallot, sliced into rings
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 4-ounce log of goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
1 teaspoon lemon zest
extra virgin olive oil for serving
Whisk the sugar, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl and set aside.
Trim the stalks and root end from each fennel bulb, reserving 1 tablespoon's worth of minced fronds for garnish.
Slice the bulbs into 1/2-inch thick rounds.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
Add 1/3 of the sliced fennel in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan.
Cook until just browned, about 2 minutes per side. Flip the fennel carefully so the slices will brown as evenly as possible.
Transfer the fennel to a large bowl. At this point, the rounds will break apart into individual slices, and that's just fine.
Repeat 2 more times with the remaining butter, oil, and fennel rounds.
Add the sugar, salt, and pepper to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. The sugar will clump and soften as it cooks.
Return the fennel to the skillet and stir to coat with the caramelizing sugar. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sugar cooks evenly.
Return the fennel to the bowl, scraping up as much of the browned bits in the pan as possible too.
Add the garlic, shallot, and dill to the fennel and toss to combine.
Pour onto a serving plate and top with the goat cheese, lemon zest, reserved fennel fronds, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.