Anise Fennel Pt2

When I selected the anise fennel as my new, experimental food at the grocery store last week, I had no idea how versatile this vegetable was. It practically can be added to any meal! I managed to pull up recipes for pork, chicken, beef and fish as well as numerous desserts without trying too hard.

I had already utilized the flavorful and tender bulbs in my previous pasta recipe, leaving me with a healthy amount of crunchy stalks and little fluffs of leaves. Previously I had been trying to find a new recipe for the fish I had in my freezer, so this allowed me the perfect opportunity to make a dish using these leftovers.

 

White Fish, Tomatoes, and Fennel

Time: 45min  :: Servings 6-8

• 3lbs cod, tilapia, haddock, or other white fish
• 1 lemon
• 3 - 6 cloves garlic 
• 1-1/2lbs cherry tomatoes
• 2 TBSP thyme
• kosher salt
• pepper
• stalks from 2 fennel bulbs
• 1/2 sweet onion
• olive oil 

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut fish into large chunks and add to a medium bowl. Zest lemon over the top, juice 1/2 the lemon, and add 1/2 of the chopped garlic. Mix in 2-3 TBSP olive oil, thyme, kosher salt, and pepper. Break up several fennel leaves and add to the bowl. Mix all ingredients well and set aside to marinate.

2. Thinly slice fennel stalks and add to a lightly greased pan. Finely chop 1/2 sweet onion, then cut tomatoes in half and add both ingredients to the pan. Drizzle all with olive oil. Add 1/2 chopped garlic, several fennel leaves, and juice from 1/2 lemon. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top. Stir to incorporate. Bake 20-25 min or until the fennel is starting to become soft - watch closely as the vegetables can easily burn.

3. Add fish mixture over the top of the vegetables and cook 6-10min more or until fish is cooked thru and flaky. 

 

This dish was savory. The herbs and fennel flavored everything, and all ingredients meshed well. I enjoyed the slight licorice flavor the fish took on, with the tart of the marinated tomatoes trying to add complexity. For me, the herbs were a tad overwhelming and I would have skipped the onion altogether.

This meal went over well with my dinner guests but definitely could have used a side dish to balance out the palate between bites. It wasn't a complete disaster but definitely could be improved upon. This is also easy enough for a dish to reduce the serving size or increase it without much extra work. I'd rate this finished recipe a 3.75 out of 5 stars.