Name: Patate al finocchio (Potatoes with dried wild fennel flowers)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm (1¼ in) cubes; about 5 sage leaves; 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with the flat of a large knife blade; 6 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon dried, wild fennel flowers or 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds, crushed; 1 litre (4 cups) hot water

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Twelve

By Tessa Kiros

Published 2003

About

Dried wild fennel flowers, collected around August, have a wonderful taste and smell, different from fennel seeds. You can, however, substitute dried whole fennel seeds if you cannot find the wild flowers. Cooked in this way, the potatoes are soft and creamy, and make an excellent companion to pork and fish dishes.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with the flat of a large knife blade
about 5

Method

Heat the olive oil in a stockpot. Add the garlic and, when it begins to sizzle, add the sage leaves. Sauté for another minute, then add the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and mix through. Add the hot water or stock and, when it comes to the boil, lower the heat slightly, cover the pot and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add the fennel halfway through and mix with a wooden spoon. Remov