Olive Oil Braised Fennel With Lemon Food

BRAISED FENNEL WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over high heat. Add half of fennel; sauté until deep golden brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with 2 more tablespoons oil and remaining fennel.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix shallots and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk in 3 tablespoons oil; drizzle mixture over fennel. Cover dish with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until fennel is tender and shallots begin to brown, about 20 minutes longer.

BRAISED FENNEL WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Trim the tops and bottoms from the fennel bulbs, reserving about 1/4 cup of the fronds. Halve the bulbs; cut out and discard the tough cores. Cut into 1-inch thick wedges.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the fennel and cook, stirring once, until the fennel is browned, about 7 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Lower the heat to medium, cover the skillet, and cook until the fennel is very tender, adding more liquid if needed, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, zest half the lemon and juice the whole lemon; chop the reserved fennel fronds.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and uncover. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Scatter the chopped fronds over the top.

BRAISED FENNEL WITH MEYER LEMON AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Trim the fennel and roughly chop 1 tablespoon of the fronds. Halve each bulb through the core, then cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough oil to coat the pan. When hot, cook half the fennel, without moving, until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining fennel, adding more oil to the pan if needed.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the fennel, broth, lemon rind and juice and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Raise the heat to high and reduce the sauce until syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Fold the sauce and reserved fronds into the fennel and top with Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ROMAN-STYLE BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• In a 12-inch high-sided skillet, melt butter over medium. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add oil and garlic, and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add fennel, wine, lemon juice, oregano, parsley and 1½ cups of water, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high, stirring to evenly coat the fennel in the liquid. Arrange the fennel in an even layer.
• Cover, reduce heat to medium and braise until fennel is tender, about 30 minutes, stirring and flipping halfway through.
• Transfer fennel to a serving platter, and spoon over the shallots and sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley, and serve warm or at room temperature.

ARTICHOKES BRAISED IN LEMON AND OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Trim artichokes into hearts:
• Add lemon halves to a large bowl of cold water, squeezing to release juice.
• Cut off top inch of 1 artichoke and bend back outer leaves until they snap off close to base (keep stem attached). Discard several more layers in same manner until you reach pale yellow leaves.
• Cut remaining leaves flush with top of artichoke bottom using a sharp knife. Trim dark green fibrous parts from base and sides of artichoke.
• Peel sides of stem down to pale inner core. Put in lemon water while preparing remaining artichokes.
• Cook shallots, carrot, garlic, and seeds in 1/4 cup oil in a 4-to 5-quart heavy pot (pot should be wide enough to hold artichokes in 1 layer with stems pointing upward) over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add water, zest, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Stand artichokes in pot and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover artichokes with wax paper, then a lid, and simmer over medium-low heat until bases are just tender when pierced with a knife, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer artichokes to a dish and reserve cooking liquid. When artichokes are cool enough to handle, halve lengthwise. Scoop out and discard inner choke (fuzzy center and any sharp leaves).
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then brown cut sides of artichokes in 2 batches, about 2 minutes per batch, transferring to a serving dish. Add reserved cooking liquid to skillet along with remaining tablespoon lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Boil vigorously 3 minutes, then stir in parsley and pour over artichokes. Serve warm or at room temperature.