How do you prepare fresh fennel for cooking? My isntructions just say to "roughly chop", but don't say what parts of the plant to use.
Tell me more
×
Seasoned Advice is a question and answer site for
professional and amateur chefs. It's 100% free, no registration required.
|
|
||||
|
|
|
It's hard to be absolutely sure without knowing what you're making, but since you say "cooking", it's pretty likely that you want to use the lower portion of the plant - the bulb. "Roughly chopped" is a good indicator that this is right. Those have a crisp texture, something like celery; they're good fresh and raw, but can also be cooked in a variety of ways. The tiny leaves also have a wonderful flavor, but like most fresh herbs, you don't want to cook them much; the flavor's delicate. If you're not confident enough about this, tell me what you're making, and perhaps how the entry in the ingredient list is written - it'd sure be hard to get a cup from the leaves! - and I'll edit my answer. |
||||
|
|
|
Sometimes the outer leaves are a bit leathery (especially if the quality isn’t too god). When that’s the case I remove them first. Next, I remove the green stalks. But Jefromi is right, the tiny leaves a delicious. The kernel in the middle near the base of the fennel bulb is very hard. I usually cut it out by halving the bulb along its length and making two incisions with a sharp knife on either side of the kernel. I chop the rest of the bulb so that it yields thin concentric slices. |
|||
|
|
