Tag: fennel

Random discovery, this week the fennel.

This week is the story of a random discovery around fennel.  A fennel is a great looking vegetable but apart from that quite puzzling ! I have always used it a little here and there in salad or as crudity.

I bought a batch of small fennels recently, obviously having no idea what to do with them, but they were saying “put me in your basket, please, please !”. So I did. And I did not give them another though until I realised it was about time to do something with them or I would just end up putting them in my compost bin. Which I hate doing.

So what did I have at hand?

  1. Four beautiful small fennels
  2. A batch of freshly made puff pastry (I wanted to do an apple tarte or tarte fine, I have run out of apples and still not tarte! )
  3. A nice piece of fresh soft goat cheese.
  4. An opened bottle of riesling.

No backup plan

And if you know about Scotland Island, you will know that popping up to the shop because you are missing an ingredient is not an option! I am taking that opportunity to provide you with a little slide show of this great place. 🙂

 

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Caramelised fennel and goat cheese tartlets

This is about something warm, yet light and fresh for autumn.

Fennel & goat cheese tartes

The concept:

The fennels are halved and placed in a thick bottom frypan with a generous amount of salted butter and allowed to slowly cook, covered. After 10 minutes, I added one glass of white wine, a good pinch of rock salt and further cooked for up to  minutes.  It should be almost cooked through, still a little firm on top.  A caramelisation is made at the end by adding a splash of balsamic vinegar to the frypan and reducing it. When ready, all you have to do is place some goat cheese on a square of puff pastry, then one fennel on each tartlet, fresh herbs, red pepercorns and a dash of runny honey.  use melted butter to brush the exposed pastry.  Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with a garden salad.  It was delicious! Quite melty wth this light sweetness and still the freshness of the fennel with the tasty butter puff pastry.

Recipe HERE.

The doing, got it?

puff pastry

assembling 1

 

v

The result?

Fresh out of the oven:

Fennel & goat cheese tartes

and ready for lunch, with no much fuss. Bon appétit!

Fennel & goat cheese tartes

Caramelised fennel and goat cheese tartlet

An easy meal which is highly rewarding!

Fennel & goat cheese tartes

For 4 tartlets

Ingredients:
  • 1 block of puff pastry – butter prefered, to roll 25×25 cm , about 3 mm thick
  • 2 small fennels, top trimmed
  • 50 g salted butter
  • One glass dry white wine
  • Fresh herbs and red pepper corns
  • Honey
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Method:
  1. Cut the fennels in two. Heat up a thick bottom frypan, melt the butter and allow to slowly cook, covered.
  2. After 10 minutes, add one glass of white wine, a good pinch of rock salt and further cooked for up to  minutes.  It should be almost cooked through, still a little firm on top.  A caramelisation is made at the end by adding a splash of balsamic vinegar to the frypan and reducing it.
  3. Place some goat cheese on a square of puff pastry, then one fennel on each tartlet, fresh herbs, red pepercorns and a dash of runny honey. Use some melted butter to brush the exposed pastry.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.
  4. Serve with a garden salad.