Fennel Orange Bread Pudding With Fennel Orange Caramel And Fennel Pollen Food

ORANGE AND FENNEL FUDGE

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch square glass baking dish with parchment paper. Butter the paper and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until the chocolate is completely melted. When the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest and vanilla. Pour into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the fennel seeds. Press gently to make them stick if need be. Allow to chill completely in the refrigerator before slicing into squares, about 2 hours.

FENNEL AND ORANGE SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, fennel and salt; whisk to combine. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture. Press and work the butter into the flour with your hands until the mixture has a shaggy texture and the butter pieces are no larger than peas.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, orange zest and egg yolk. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula. Continue to gently fold the dough until it just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, making sure to scrape out all the contents of the bowl. Lightly knead the dough together until the ingredients are evenly incorporated and the dough is smooth. Using your hands, press the dough into an 18-by-3 3/4-inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half lengthwise using a bench scraper, so you have 2 long rectangles. Next, cut the dough every 3 inches crosswise, creating 12 small rectangles. Cut each small rectangle in half diagonally. This will give you 24 scones in the shape of a triangle.
• Place the scones on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches between each. Brush the tops with the egg white. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through cooking, until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes. Serve warm with creme fraiche and jam.

FENNEL AND ORANGE-SCENTED CHALLAH

Steps:

• In the bowl of a standing mixer, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm water.
• Using the paddle attachment, stir orange zest, juice and oil into yeast mixture, then add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, and remaining sugar and salt. Switch to the dough hook and gradually add 6 cups of flour, kneading for about 5 minutes and adding more flour as needed to make a slightly sticky, smooth and elastic dough.
• Grease a large bowl, turn dough into it and then turn the dough over to grease the top. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
• When the dough has almost doubled, punch it down, remove it to a lightly floured counter, knead it briefly until smooth and divide it in half. Roll each piece into a cylinder about 27 inches long, making sure there are no seams in the dough. Bring one end of the dough up to the other and twist to form a spiral. Push both ends together to make a squat 12-inch loaf. Repeat with other piece of dough and arrange loaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. You can also twist the long spirals into a circle if you like; the dough is very malleable.
• Beat remaining egg and egg yolk and brush about half the mixture on the loaves, reserving the rest. Let the dough rise uncovered another half-hour or overnight in refrigerator.
• If dough was refrigerated, bring to room temperature. Heat oven to 350 degrees and in a small bowl, combine fennel, poppy and sesame seeds. Brush the loaves with egg again and sprinkle with seeds.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and firm when tapped with a spatula. Cool on a rack.

FENNEL SEED AND ORANGE PEEL BREAD

Steps:

• Pour scalded milk over honey, maple syrup, and salt in a large bowl. Let cool to lukewarm, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Soften yeast in warm water in a bowl until frothy, about 5 minutes. Combine with milk mixture. Beat in 2 cups flour, orange zest, and fennel seeds using an electric mixer. Blend in butter. Stir in 5 cups flour to make a soft dough.
• Sprinkle last 1/2 cup flour on a board; turn dough onto floured board and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl; turn dough over to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape loaves. Place in 2 lightly greased bread pans. Cover and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush tops of loaves with egg white.
• Bake loaves in the preheated oven until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

BREAD PUDDING WITH ORANGE CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the pudding;.
• Heat the milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, and orange zest in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
• Let cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight to steep.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F Put the bread cubes in a large bowl.
• Reheat the milk mixture and remove the cinnamon stick. In a large bowl, lightly whisk together the yolks and eggs.
• Pour the milk mixture into the eggs and mix thoroughly.
• Pour this mixture over the bread and allow to soak for a few minutes.
• Butter the insides of eight 5-ounce ramekins. Divide the mixture among the ramekins and place them in a roasting pan or on a large, deep sheet pan.
• Pour about 1 inch of water into the pan to create a water bath.
• Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours.
• To make the sauce:
• Bring orange juice to a simmer over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan, then reduce to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes.
• Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, add cream, and set aside.
• In another saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and continue to cook, stirring frequently until sugar is lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes.
• Add the orange juice mixture, stirring constantly.
• Simmer for 5 minutes and strain through a fine sieve.
• Serve the pudding warm, either turned out onto individual plates or left inside the ramekins.
• Top with the sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, and a dusting of powdered sugar.

ORANGE-BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large straight-sided saute pan. Add fennel and brown on all sides. Stir in the stock, orange juice and garlic. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until fennel is tender, about 20 minutes.

ORANGE-FENNEL WATER

Steps:

• Place 1 thinly sliced orange and the coarsely chopped stalks and fronds from 1 bulb fennel in a pitcher. For still infused water, add 2 quarts of water. For sparkling water, add 1 quart of seltzer during prep and a second quart just before serving. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours to allow the ingredients to infuse. Stir well and strain, discarding the solids. For serving, add fresh fennel, fronds and orange slices for garnish and plenty of ice. The infused water will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.

FENNEL GRATIN

Steps:

• Toast the bread crumbs: Heat oven to 250 degrees. Remove crust from bread and slice 1/4 inch thick, then tear slices into 1/2 inch pieces. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until completely dry and brittle, but without any color. Let cool, then break into roughly pebble-size pieces and place between 2 sheets of parchment paper or in a plastic bag. Gently roll a rolling pin across the surface several times until crumbs have a rustic texture - larger than a grain or rice but smaller than a pea. Measure 3/4 cup crumbs and set aside. (Reserve leftover crumbs for another purpose.)
• Meanwhile, prepare the fennel: Chop 3 tablespoons fronds and set aside. If you're using large bulbs, cut lengthwise into quarters; if you're using small bulbs, cut lengthwise in half. Leave base fully attached in both instances. Turn fennel pieces cut side up and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat your largest sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and butter. Then, working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add fennel cut side down and sear until deep chestnut brown, 2 to 3 minutes. If fennel is quartered, flip pieces to sear the other cut surface for 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer fennel to a large Dutch oven.
• Add stock and wine to Dutch oven, place over low heat, cover and simmer until fennel is fork-tender but not mushy, 20 to 25 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, place fennel neatly in a 9 by 13-inch broiler-proof baking dish and set aside.
• Prepare the bread crumb topping: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add bread crumbs, garlic paste, fennel pollen and pepper and cook, stirring often, until crumbs are pale gold, 2 to 3 minutes. Don't let them take on too much color. Remove pan from heat and stir in chopped fennel fronds.
• Make the cheese sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour. Whisk for about 1 minute, then add garlic paste. Whisk until flour begins to take on a pale gold color, 2 to 3 minutes; you want a shade between off-white and not quite beige.
• Gradually whisk in milk. Once all of the milk has been added, whisk vigorously until sauce is completely smooth; turn down heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking periodically to avoid scorching, until sauce fully thickens, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat, whisk in Gruyère, and season with salt and pepper. The sauce should be very thick.
• To assemble: Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Pour cheese sauce over fennel (very gently reheat sauce if cold), and sprinkle with Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until bubbling and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove gratin from oven and scatter bread crumb topping in an even layer across the top. Continue to bake until gratin takes on a deep golden hue, about 5 minutes. If it needs more color, place dish under the broiler for 1 minute, watching it very carefully to ensure nothing burns. Serve immediately.