Fennel in a Supporting Role

Recently, Ed discovered that he actually likes fennel. We were sharing a lobster roll at Select Oyster Bar.

(Yes, that is half of the lobster roll and salad.)

He was digging into the salad that’s served with it and asked about the thin slices of some vegetable scattered among the lettuce leaves. When told it was fennel, he was surprised.

His father loved to chomp on big hunks of raw fennel and tasting it that way had put him off this licorice flavored bulb. Ed didn't realize that he had been enjoying a milder version of fennel’s flavor in a supporting role in some of his favorite meals for years.

Bulbs and Fronds

Fennel is a staple in our vegetable bin. Thin slices of fresh fennel bulb are in many of our favorite fish recipes like fish chowder or fish baked in parchment packets. When we serve a fish topped with a breaded stuffing, there is fennel in that mixture. If there’s a piece of fennel that needs to be used, it may go in any soup from chicken to minestrone. Chopped fennel fronds often appear in his salads, stir fries, and stews.

This salad of thinly sliced asparagus and shaved fennel with lemon juice, capers, and lemon olive oil became a spring favorite for both of us this year.

Both fennel and fennel seeds are among the ingredients in one bolognese sauce recipe we love!

Fennel Seed

Fennel seeds are in our homemade chutneys, ground in the spice blend for our favorite grilled salmon, and we even make our own teabags for a spiced tea that contains fennel seed. Most of the time, we gently toast the seeds in a dry pan to bring out the maximum flavor before adding them, ground in a little coffee grinder or mortar and pestle or whole, to a recipe.

You’ll often find fennel seeds coated with sugar as you leave Indian restaurants. In that culture they are considered an aid in digestion after a big meal.

Do your own research and be very cautious when using concentrated forms of a spice like fennel seed. They have long been used for their therapeutic value. However, just like manufactured drugs, they may interact with other medications or have their own physical side effects.

For example, fennel can have an impact on estrogen levels and may interact with any medication that is sensitive to estrogen levels such as birth control pills or tamoxifen. We rely on the Sloan Kettering database of "Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products" for solid information about this topic.

In part 2, we pass on some fennel tips and tidbits.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2018- 2019 Penny Cherubino 

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)