Fennel à la Grecque

Name: Fennel à la Grecque
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1½ cups water; ¼ cup dry vermouth; 2 large garlic cloves, halved; ½ teaspoon fennel seeds; ½ teaspoon thyme; 1 bay leaf, crumbled; 1 tiny dried hot chili-pepper, or ¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes; 1 tiny dried hot chili-pepper, or ¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt; ½ teaspoon sugar; 2 medium fennel bulbs, about 1¼ pounds (weighed with 2-inch top stalks); 3 tablespoons olive oil; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; Lemon slices

Preparation info

4
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables

By Elizabeth Schneider

Published 1986

About

The time-honored method of poaching vegetables in a seasoned court bouillon—à la grecque—is modified in this recipe by browning the fennel slices slightly before poaching, which intensifies the flavor. Serve the richly aromatic chilled vegetable as an appetizer, side dish, or part of a buffet.

Ingredients

1½ cups water
¼ cup dry vermouth
2 large garlic cloves

Side dish
Starter
Gluten-free
Vegan

Method

Combine water, vermouth, garlic, fennel seeds, thyme, bay leaf, chili (crumbled), salt, and sugar in nonaluminum saucepan. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Let stand, covered, until ready to use.
Trim off and discard fennel stalks, saving feathery leaves. Trim base of bulb slightly without removing core. Cutting across as you would a loaf of bread, progressing from