Oven Roasted Fish With Fennel Food

SALMON WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Have the fishmonger cut the head and tail off the salmon and butterfly it, removing all the bones. You should have about 7 pounds of salmon.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Saute the onions and fennel in the olive oil for 10 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme leaves, fennel fronds, orange zest, orange juice, salt, and pepper and saute for 5 more minutes, until the onions and fennel are tender. Taste for salt and pepper.
• Lay the salmon, skin side down, on a cutting board and sprinkle both sides generously with salt and pepper. Spread the fennel filling over half of the salmon. Pull the other half up and over the filling, enclosing it. Tie the salmon every 2 inches with kitchen string to secure the stuffing.
• Place a sheet pan lined with parchment paper in the oven for 5 minutes to heat it. Carefully transfer the salmon to the hot sheet pan and bake it for exactly 30 minutes (10 minutes for each 1-inch of thickness). Do not overbake!
• Allow to cool slightly, then remove the strings. To serve, cut into thick slices with a very sharp knife. This salmon is delicious hot or at room temperature.
• Note: If you're making this in advance, be sure to cool the filling before stuffing the salmon. Refrigerate until ready to roast.

ROASTED SALMON WITH FENNEL AND LIME

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Finely grate the zest from 1 lime into a small bowl, and set aside the zested lime. Add fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the bowl and toss to combine. Sprinkle mixture all over salmon.
• Meanwhile, remove the fennel fronds from the bulb and chop up enough to make 1/4 cup. Trim fennel bulb, discarding stalks, and slice bulb thinly using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Spread half the fennel slices in a baking dish in an even layer and drizzle with oil. Arrange salmon on top.
• Slice the whole, unzested lime into thin rounds and lay the slices on top of the salmon. Tuck marjoram around the salmon and drizzle salmon generously with more olive oil.
• Roast until salmon is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. (Thinner fillets may take less time, so start checking for doneness at 10 minutes.)
• Meanwhile, toss chopped fennel fronds and remaining fennel slices with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Juice the zested lime and add some of the juice to the fennel, to taste. Drizzle the sliced fennel with olive oil and set aside to serve with the salmon.
• When the salmon is done, drizzle it with more lime juice and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve with the fennel salad on top, and the roast fennel on the side, if you like.

THE BEST ROASTED FENNEL

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F.
• Pick 2 tablespoons of the tender green fronds from the tops of the fennel bulbs and set aside. Cut the remaining top and bottom from each fennel bulb, then cut the bulb in half lengthwise through the core. Use the tip of the knife to cut an upside-down "V" on the bottom of each bulb to remove most of the core, leaving just enough so the bulb stays intact. Cut each half through the core into wedges, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Add the fennel bulb, thyme, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a large bowl and toss until evenly coated. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast in the oven until the fennel is very tender and lightly browned in spots, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, top with the reserved fennel fronds and serve with the lemon wedges.

BRAISED FISH WITH FENNEL AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Prepare Braising Liquid:Pour the oil, wine, and water into a large (13-inch) skillet, then add the fennel, tomatoes, garlic, and lemon slices. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over moderate heat until the tomatoes begin to fall apart and the fennel softens, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Prepare Braising Liquid:Pour the oil, wine, and water into a large (13-inch) skillet, then add the fennel, tomatoes, garlic, and lemon slices. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over moderate heat until the tomatoes begin to fall apart and the fennel softens, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Braise Fish: Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper and arrange fillets in the pan, partially submerging them in the sauce. Cover and simmer until fish is opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes (or 8 to 10 for thicker fillets).
• Serve:Spoon some of the braising sauce into a shallow bowl, then top with fish. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with pepper.

ROASTED FISH WITH BLOOD ORANGE AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil; have ready a second rimmed baking sheet.
• Trim the tops from the fennel bulbs and coarsely chop 1/4 cup of the fronds; discard the stalks. Remove the outer layers of the fennel and halve each bulb through the root end. Thinly slice each bulb. Thinly slice one of the limes and quarter the other.
• Pat each fish dry and coat each lightly with a teaspoon oil. Generously season fish inside and outside with salt and pepper. Transfer fish to the foil-lined baking sheet. Stuff each cavity with slices of lime and orange, fennel fronds and garlic.
• Toss sliced fennel with 3 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread on the remaining baking sheet. Transfer fish and fennel to the oven; roast fennel, tossing occasionally, until golden and tender, about 15 minutes. Bake fish until it is just opaque, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve fish drizzled with more olive oil and squeeze fresh lime juice on top. Serve with fennel on top or alongside.