Crispy Potatoes With Fennel Food

CRISPY POTATOES WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 475°F. Rinse fennel thoroughly. Trim and discard root end of fennel bulb. Trim stalks from fennel bulb, reserving fronds for another use. Thinly slice bulb.
• In 9-inch cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Remove from heat. Arrange half of the potato slices in skillet. Layer with fennel slices and remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with chopped thyme, the salt and pepper. Cover with foil.
• Bake 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until potatoes are lightly browned. Serve hot or at room temperature. Garnish with thyme leaves.

ROASTED POTATOES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Toss 1 pound halved fingerling potatoes with 1 sliced fennel bulb, 1 sliced white onion, 6 sliced garlic cloves, 8 sage leaves, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast at 425 degrees F until golden and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway through. Season with salt and drizzle with olive oil.

CRISPY FRIED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Combine the potatoes, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons salt and enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a paper towel?lined plate with a slotted spoon; gently blot dry (it?s OK if some of the potatoes crumble). Let cool completely.
• Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Melt the schmaltz in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat (you should have about 2 inches in the pot) and heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Working in batches, fry the potatoes until browned and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove to the rack with a slotted spoon and immediately sprinkle with salt. Keep warm in the oven between batches.
• Add the parsley and sage leaves to the hot schmaltz and fry a few seconds until just crisp. Remove to a paper towel?lined plate with a slotted spoon and sprinkle with salt. Top the potatoes with the fried herbs.

OVEN ROASTED POTATOES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. (I used an 18x12x1 sheet pan)
• Place the sliced potatoes and sliced fennel in a large bowl.
• Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to the vegetables.
• Toss to combine and then spread them out in one single layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Tuck in a few extra sprigs of rosemary and thyme and drizzle with a teeny bit more olive oil.
• Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or just until the potatoes are crispy and the fennel is tender with a rich golden brown colour.
• Serve while still warm.
• NOTE
• Slicing fennel is really quite simple. First start by cutting off the stalks from the bulb (you can reserve the stalks for making soup).
• Cut the fennel vertically in half and leave the hard core attached, then slice into 1/2 inch wedges.
• Leaving the hard core attached will insure the wedges stay intact.

CRISPY FINGERLING POTATOES

Steps:

• Put the potatoes into a large pot and cover them with water. Add a big pinch of salt, then cover, and put over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncover, and cook just until the potatoes start to soften but are not cooked all the way through, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the warm pot. Shake the potatoes around to roughen up the sides and to let them dry out. Put them into a bowl.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put a baking sheet in the oven to preheat.
• Add the olive oil, grill seasoning, paprika and pepper, to taste, to the potatoes and toss to coat. Spread the potatoes out onto the preheated baking sheet and roast them until they are cooked through and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping the potatoes once halfway through the cooking time. Remove the potatoes from the oven to a serving bowl and serve.

BAKED SALMON WITH POTATOES & FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Toss the potatoes and fennel with 1 tbsp olive oil and arrange on a baking tray or in a roasting dish. Season and roast on the top shelf for 15 mins.
• Turn the veg, then top with the salmon. Season and roast for another 15 mins. Meanwhile, mix 1 tbsp olive oil with the tapenade to loosen it.
• Once roasted, drizzle the salmon and vegetables with the tapenade. Sprinkle over the fennel fronds and serve with lemon wedges.

CRISPY SQUASHED BABY ROASTIES

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes for 10 mins until tender, then drain and leave to steamdry. While the pork is resting (see left), lower the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Drizzle half the oil over a flat, sturdy baking tray and tip in the potatoes. Add the fennel seeds, and season with the flaky sea salt and some black pepper, tossing everything to coat. Gently squash the potatoes with a potato masher to just break the skins. Drizzle with the extra oil and bake for 45 mins until crispy and golden.

CRISPY CREAM-BRAISED POTATOES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• cut fennel lengthwise into wedges about 1.5" wide (leaving core intact).
• In a 3 to 4 quart pan, combine potatoes, fennel wedges, bay leaf, and fennel seed. Add enough half-and-half to fully cover the potatoes and fennel. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Over medium-high heat, bring the half-and-half to a simmer, then lower heat to just maintain the simmer. Cook until the potatoes and fennel are soft and tender, about 20 minutes. Take off the heat. The potatoes and fennel should be fully cooked at this point.
• While potatoes and fennel are braising, preheat broiler to medium-high. In a small bowl, combine rosemary, thyme, pecorino, and orange zest.
• Remove potatoes and fennel wedges from the half-and-half with a spider or slotted spoon, and transfer them to a gratin or casserole dish. Some of the half-and-half will cling to the vegetables, which is a good thing. Make sure to generously coat the bottom with olive oil to prevent sticking. Taste the potatoes and fennel for seasoning - if you need more salt or pepper, add them now. Toss with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon), then the herb-cheese-orange zest mixture. Arrange the potatoes and fennel wedges in a single layer to promote even browning.
• Place the casserole dish under the broiler (about 6 inches away from the source of heat). Broil for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the potatoes and fennel are caramelized and crispy around the edges. (I typically brown the vegetables more than the ones in the picture above -- just leave them under the broiler until they've reached your desired crispness!).