Rosemary Braised Fennel Recipes

Steps:

• Place duck breasts, skin side down, on work surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine garlic, fennel, rosemary and olive oil in small bowl. Press herb mixture over duck breast meat. Place 1 breast atop the other, meaty sides together. Tie breasts together with cooking string.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add tied duck breasts and cook until well browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Pour fat from skillet and discard. Transfer skillet with duck to oven. Roast duck to desired doneness, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes for medium. Transfer duck to work surface; let rest 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour pan drippings into glass measuring cup. Spoon fat off top. Remove string and cut each breast into 1/2-inch slices. Drizzle any pan juices over and serve immediately.
• *Available at specialty foods stores or from Joie de Vivre; call 800-648-8854, or go to www.frenchselections.com.

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.

Steps:

• Trim the stalks from the fennel. Discard or reserve for a vegetable stock. Quarter each bulb and carve out the core at the base, leaving just a thin portion of the core so the quarters won't fall apart as they cook.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, add the fennel in a single layer without crowding. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side until golden, shaking the pan from time to time. Set the first batch aside on a plate, add a little more olive oil to the pan, and brown the other batch. Return all fennel pieces to the pan.
• Sprinkle with salt and rosemary. Add the wine, stock, and lime juice. Bring to a simmer and cover. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. Remove the lid, turn the heat up to medium-high, and cook for 5 minutes, until the juices are syrupy. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.