Jill Dupleix

Fennel schnitzel

banner

Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Feeds

    six

Appears in

Old Food

Old Food

By Jill Dupleix

Published 1998

  • About

In Italy, sweet aniseedy fennel used to be served at the end of the meal, as refreshing a concept as fresh fruit. Here, golden breadcrumbs give a crisp coating on fresh, zesty fennel, to be served with roast chicken or grilled fish, or just as part of an antipasto platter. This is also brilliant with thick slices of blanched celeriac, as another sort of vegetable schnitzel.

Ingredients

  • 2 fennel bulbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • vegetable oil for frying

Method

Trim tops of each fennel bulb, and cut off any nasty looking bits of outer skin. Cut down through the fennel bulbs into very thin, neat cross-sections. Rinse and pat dry.

Break eggs into one bowl and beat them lightly. Place breadcrumbs in a second bowl and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil, up to 2 cm (¾ in) deep, in a heavy-based frypan. Dip each fennel slice first in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs, then fry, a few slices at a time, until golden, turning once. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little sea salt.

© 1998 All rights reserved. Published by Murdoch Books.