Fennel is braised in a chicken broth and topped with Parmesan cheese in this easy braised fennel recipe.
Fennel recipes that bring out the vegetable's natural sweetness are the best. And this one is no exception. Fennel is slowly braised in a low-sodium chicken broth until it gets tender, juicy and sweet. Then it is topped with Parmesan cheese.
For more fennel recipes, see also: Italian Pot Roast Dinner, Roast Sea Bass, and Vegetables Hot Off Your Grill.
What is Fennel?
Fennel is common in French and Italian cooking, but it is not used much in American cuisine. That is a shame, because it has a mellow, somewhat sweet flavor when it is cooked, almost like onions.
When raw, fennel is pleasantly crunchy, like celery, and it smells like licorice. Raw fennel is quite tasty in salads.
Fennel is in season in late fall through the spring.
Fennel is composed of three parts -- the bulb, the stalks and the leaves, all of which are edible. This fennel recipe uses the bulb, which must be trimmed. But you can save the stalks and leaves for other recipes.
Health Benefits of Fennel
High in antioxidants, vitamin C, fiber, potassium, manganese and folate, fennel is also extremely low in calories, cholesterol and fat. If those facts alone do not convince you of the health benefits of eating fennel, consider that some people believe fennel has anti-inflammatory properties. That is because fennel also contains apigenin, a nutrient that may prevent breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer or lung cancer.
This braised fennel recipe would go well with just about any chicken, pork or beef dish. Try it with chicken breasts with wine, chicken marsala, stuffed flank steak, beef tenderloin or apple stuffed pork chops.
Braised Fennel with Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 fennel bulbs
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Wash and trim fennel bulbs: Remove stalks and leaves (save for another use). Cut a thick slice off of the root end. Slice the bulb in half. Remove the hard inner core from each of the halves, and cut into 8 wedges.
- Place fennel wedges into a 1-quart baking dish. Season with the kosher salt and pepper.
- Pour the chicken broth all over the fennel wedges. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and bake another 8-12 minutes until cheese is melted, and fennel is soft and tender.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Per serving (based on 4): 62 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 4 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 4 g protein, 4% vitamin A, 23% vitamin C, 12% calcium, 5% iron
