Braised Fennel with Whipped Feta
Pieces of tender, almost sweet fennel braised to caramelized perfection in a garlicky aniseed sauce, served with a velvety and rich whipped feta will be your new fave way to eat fennel!
Braised Fennel with Whipped Feta
Braised Fennel with Whipped Feta
Braised Fennel with Whipped Feta
This is one of the best fennel recipes I have made, it’s so easy to make and goes with pretty much everything.
Serve braised fennel as a starter at a dinner party, It also works wonderfully as a (little bit fancy) side dish for a holiday feasts like Thanksgiving or Christmas, pairing beautifully with roasted meats or seafood. For a more casual light meal, it’s a delightful plate on its own with a little side salad, or an addition to a simple weeknight dinner.
What’s unique about this braised fennel recipe (apart from it being addictive), is that it’s braised in a simple chicken stock (you can sub for vegetable stock to make the dish vegetarian) which makes the sauce rich and delicious, and pairing it with a tangy whipped feta, cuts through the richness and anise flavour, giving a very rounded and balanced dish for your pallet.
If you are a fennel fan girl/boy and haven’t tried braised fennel yet, you need to get on it, you’ll thank me.
Other fave dishes where fennel just makes everything taste better is my Baked salmon, Ribolita and Bloody Mary Tomato Salad which is quick and easy, and highly recommended for fennel lovers out there.
For other side dishes that steal the show, check out my Potato Gratin with Gruyere, Or this Petits pois à la Française.
Braised fennel is made with pieces of a fennel bulb cut keeping all the layers intact, then sauteed gently with aromatics like garlic in a stock and sometimes white wine.
Fennel has an aniseed flavour that almost walks the line between savory and sweet. It pairs well with acidic and salty flavours.
A fennel bulb works brilliantly cooked in soups and stews or cooked with grilled chicken or fish. You can also eat it raw in salads, or braised like this recipe shows. You can also eat the herby fennel tops as a fresh garnish, and the seeds are also a wonderful addition to savoury cooking needing an aniseed flavour.
I remember being slightly intimidated when prepping my first fennel, but don’t let its odd shape freak you out. Start by trimming the green fronds away from the white bulb part. Reserve the wispy herb parts for garnishing. Then trim the base. I like to leave some of it attached to the fennel so that it remains intact when cooking. You can also cut out a bit of the core if she’s chunky and you might want to peel some outer layers that are can be fibrous. Then you can cut in half, and then into quarters or eighths, or dice if you’re going to add into cooking for a soup.
Ingredients and substitutions
How to make it - step by step!
Place a large frying pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and fennel, cook until it begins to caramelize, then turn the fennel over and cook the other side, adding in the garlic, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, salt and pepper at this point.
Once both sides are caramelised, add the broth and lemon juice. Cover and simmer about 10-15 minutes or until the fennel is tender and the liquid has thickened into a sauce.
Meanwhile, make the whipped feta by adding the feta, Greek yogurt and 2 tbsp of olive oil to a blender or food processor. Whizz it up until smooth and creamy. Some small lumps may remain, this is fine.
To serve, smear the dip onto a serving dish, making satisfying little dips for the sauce to pool in. Top with braised fennel and sauce. Garnish with fennel tops and a little wave of olive oil over the top.
Place a large frying pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and fennel, cook until it begins to caramelize, then turn the fennel over and cook the other side, adding in the garlic, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, salt and pepper at this point.
Once both sides are caramelised, add the broth and lemon juice. Cover and simmer about 10-15 minutes or until the fennel is tender and the liquid has thickened into a sauce.
Meanwhile, make the whipped feta by adding the feta, Greek yogurt and 2 tbsp of olive oil to a blender or food processor. Whizz it up until smooth and creamy. Some small lumps may remain, this is fine.
To serve, smear the dip onto a serving dish, making satisfying little dips for the sauce to pool in. Top with braised fennel and sauce. Garnish with fennel tops and a little wave of olive oil over the top.
Watch the how to video
Watch the how to video
Braised Fennel with Whipped Feta
1 large fennel bulb (or 2 little ones) trimmed, cut in half, then each half into quarters. Reserve the herbs
4 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of black pepper
3/4 cup chicken broth or stock
½ lemon juice
200 g feta
1 cup Greek yogurt
- Place a large frying pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and fennel, cook until it begins to caramelize, then turn the fennel over and cook the other side, adding in the garlic, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, salt and pepper at this point
- Once both sides are caramelised, add the broth and lemon juice. Cover and simmer about 10-15 minutes or until the fennel is tender and the liquid has thickened into a sauce
- Meanwhile, make the whipped feta by adding the feta, Greek yogurt and 2 tbsp of olive oil to a blender or food processor. Whizz it up until smooth and creamy. Some small lumps may remain, this is fine
- To serve, smear the dip onto a serving dish, making satisfying little dips for the sauce to pool in. Top with braised fennel and sauce. Garnish with fennel tops and a little wave of olive oil over the top.