Fennel is related to celery but has a distinctive anise taste and aroma. Fennel goes well with tomatoes, in soups and raw in salads. This side dish recipe is a nice addition to a simple meal. Mustard and white wine give this fennel side dish a tangy taste.
Serves 2
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 fennel bulb (about 1 pound)
- 1/2 lemon
- 2 c. water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 3-4 pieces of bacon, cooked
- 1/3 c. crème fraîche or sour cream (in a pinch)
- 1 tsp. prepared mustard
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2-3 T. white wine
- 4 T. grated cheese
Preparation:
Clean and quarter fennel (remove fronds - use fresh in salad or in salad dressing like dill) but do not cut out the core. Cook in water with lemon juice and salt.
Drain well.
Remove core and cut fennel into one inch pieces lengthwise.
Layer in small casserole dish with tomato. Crumble bacon and sprinkle on top.
Mix crème fraîche (or sour cream), mustard, wine, pepper and 2 tablespoons cheese.
Pour sour cream mixture over vegetables and smooth top.
Sprinkle rest of cheese over casserole.
Bake for 20 - 30 minutes. You can broil the last few minutes to brown the casserole a little.
Please note that crème fraîche will not separate or separate as much as sour cream. This is due to the high fat content of the cream. Sour cream will still taste good, but be a bit clumpy.
