Viral Days

Braising Bulbs

It has been a seriously long time since I've deigned to write here much less compose something for aficionados of La Cucina. Be that as it may, it would seem that many people, forced to remain at home and thus rely on their own resources, have begun to take up cooking and baking with a vengeance. I must confess that I, too, am one of them. Necessity, after all, really is the mother of invention.

How does one pass the time when living alone, without a television, and for whom, besides playing the piano, watching the vacant lanes of West 14th Street from his window has become his only source of entertainment? I mean, there are just so many episodes of anything on Amazon Prime and Netflix one can watch. I've started re-reading Dickens (Trollope is next!) - always a challenge considering the length of their stories - to while away the hours. Don't get me wrong, I am still practicing in earnest but there is something unsettling about making so much noise when everything around you - especially in New York - is so still. It would be different if this were Westchester or an acred suburb anywhere in America or atop a mountain in Switzerland, but it's not.  We are here in the lively, 8-million-souls-filled metropolis of New York and everyone is either home, behind closed doors or escaped to parts unknown. The silence here is bloody deafening. My building, I am told, is only half full at the moment. Vewy scawy!

Nevertheless, I am here to talk about food so . . . let's start with Fennel. First of all, unlike most people you hear on the news, my grocery stores have been pretty well stocked. There have only been a few isolated instances where shortages remain constant, flour being the most prevalent; even "00" on Amazon has a 3-week waiting time. I haven't had any problems getting eggs or milk or butter, and vegetables have been ready for plucking from the shelves. I love fennel, especially raw, sliced thin and dressed only with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil (no vinegar!). It is simple, quick (if you have a mandolin) and deee-licious! I also like them sliced thin with slices of orange (same way). But during the wintry months, I love to braise the bulbs, cut in quarters.  

There are many ways to do this, even finish it off with cream and bake them au gratin. HEAVEN! I have done it many ways, but I think the best way is to simply braise them in broth with some finely sliced onions, a clove of garlic, some white wine and as you see in the picture, some roasted cherry tomatoes. It's fairly simple and takes no effort besides being forced to monitor the stove periodically and wait the required 2 hours before eating or serving.

Serves 8 as a vegetable or 4 as a main course with pasta or roast anything (game, fowl, meat, even fish)

2 whole bulbs Fennel

1 small onion or leek

1 clove of garlic (smashed)

1/4 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp powdered thyme (or 2 fresh thyme sprigs removed before serving)

1 cup roasted cherry tomatoes

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup rich chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste at end 

Cut off stalks at top of the bulbs and mince the stalks and fronds and reserve

Cut off the hard base of each fennel bulb but without severing any of the leaves. Trim the bulbs by removing the tough outer leaves. Cut each bulb in half and in half again You should have 8 equal pieces.

Slice the onion very thin and reserve

In a large, heavy dutch oven (Le Creusets are perfect for this), heat the olive oil and add the fennel bulbs. Sauté the fennel on each side over moderate heat, including the rounded outside shell. When the bulbs are nicely browned, remove from the pan. Add the chopped garlic, the sliced onion and the minced fennel stalks and sauté until translucent. Add the fennel seeds and the thyme, stir a bit and add the fennel bulbs and the cherry tomatoes. Add the white wine and allow to reduce by half. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and lower heat to simmer. Cover and stir every once in a while for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the cover during the last 20 minutes of cooking so the liquid in the pot reduces and thickens. Serve immediately.

There are so very many variations to this dish; the possibilities are almost endless. It is excellent served with game or fowl, especially goose or duck, and if allowed to cool and is then puréed, you can add it to a béchamel sauce and use it as the sauce base for a lasagna. The last time I made it, which was precisely at the beginning of our global ordeal, I added orzo to the broth. Perfect comfort food for anyone!