The best way to cut a whole fennel bulb into quarters and slice it.
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Fennel is an herb, but its used more like a vegetable.
It has a layered, creamy white base and long stalk with willowy sprigs of green called fronds.
Simply Recipes / Lori Rice
It doesnt look like it will deliver flavors of licorice, but thats how the taste is usually described.
A bite of it is a pleasant surprise for the tastebuds.
The stalks are tough and typically discarded, but the wispy fronds are a lot like dill in texture.
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They can be chopped fine to use as an herb in soups, sautes, and baked goods.
Eaten raw it is a lot like celery in texture crispy with a high water content.
Roasting fennel caramelizes the sugars and deepens the subtle licorice flavors.
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Both fresh and roasted fennel go well with crisp apples, citrus, and toasted nuts.
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How To Choose a Bulb of Fennel
Fennel comes in a range of sizes.
Some bulbs are as big as a softball while others are more like a tennis ball.
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Regardless of the size the bulb should be dense and the layers close and compact.
The stalk and fronds should be perky, standing straight up from the bulb.
If you plan to use the fronds, pull them off the stalk and save for later.
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The fronds can be finely chopped and used as an herb on their own, like dill.
Set the bulb root-side down on a cutting board.
Cut the bulb in half working from the stalk end through the root end.
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Place the cut-side of the half of the fennel bulb down and cut each half into quarters.
Peel any shriveled or browned outside layers from the bulb.
Thinly slice each quarter of the fennel, crosswise, working from the stem end to the root end.
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Stop just before reaching the root end and discard that part of the bulb.
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