Anise Fennel

When I decided to start blogging about my food adventures, I never thought I'd enjoy the process of picking out something to blog about. The last thing I want to do is to make this bucket list challenge something that I hate doing right away because I feel pressured. It's why I chose to loosely pick my food each week. It might be a recipe, it might be new food to eat on its own, and it might be a new drink concoction. Maybe I'd look up something, maybe I'd wing the recipe, or maybe I'd just eat somewhere new and select something off a menu I've never tried before. I feel by keeping the terms open as such, will allow me more freedoms and less feeling boxed in by my own doing.

For my first week of the challenge, I've selected Anise Fennel. I literally went into the local grocery store produce section with "strange vegetable" as my goal. I was like "What the heck is this thing?! Let me find a recipe!"

So what is this green and white monstrosity? The anise fennel a member of the carrot family, but is not considered a root vegetable because its bulbous base grows above the ground. From the bulb, grows stalks that weave together and end with light, feathery leaves. This vegetable when raw has a fresh, and aromatic flavor - something similar to strong black licorice - but mellows out to something like flavorful celery with a hint of licorice when cooked. Any part of the anise fennel can be eaten raw, sautéed, or roasted, added to soups or sauce, or used for cookies and other savory baked goods.

For the recipe this week I winged it, broadly basing it on a fennel and pork chop recipe I found online.


Pork Chops with Fennel Cream Pasta

Time: 45min : Servings: 4

• 2 Anise Fennel Bulbs, chopped into 1/2" pieces (I preferred my finely chopped to distribute the flavor more evenly)
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp oregano
• sea salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 4 cups of chicken stock. If you don't have stock, use 4 cups water, chicken bouillon to its equivalent, and 1 packet G Washington's Golden Seasoning.
  
• 2 cups light or heavy cream
• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1 TBSP butter
• grated parmesan cheese (to taste)
• pasta of choice
• olive oil 

1. Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in a large nonstick skillet Lightly salt pork chops with sea salt and pepper. Sear 3-4 min per side. They will finish cooking in a later step.

2. While pork chops start to cook, chop up the Anise Fennel bulbs and onion. Remove pork chops when time is up and tent on a plate with tinfoil to keep warm. Put water on to boil in a big pot for pasta.

3. Add 1 TBSP butter and a dash of additional olive oil as necessary if it has dissipated. Cook Anise Fennel and onion until soft and caramelized. As they cook add the parsley, oregano, and thyme as well as another dash of pepper. Add pasta to boiling water. and cook to instructions on the box.

4. Add chicken stock and cream to the skillet, then reintroduce porch chops and accumulated juices. Simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, or until pork chops are cooked thru, stirring often. Add parmesan cheese - to taste - and integrate. Drain pasta.

5. To serve, plate the pasta first, add a pork chop from the pan and ladle the sauce and veggies over the top. Dress with additional parmesan, parsley, or a slice of lemon.


This finished recipe is rated a 5 out of 5 stars. Four of us sat down to dinner and the results were unanimous. Would definitely make this recipe again! The only qualm I have is the recipe didn't use the whole anise fennel - so now I am left with stalks and leaves. I guess that means I'll have to find another recipe or else my chickens will have a field day with the scraps.