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Epicurious

Roasted Fennel with Raisins, Walnuts, and Parsley

Fennel is a staple ingredient at the Shop. It’s extremely versatile and just as delicious thinly sliced into a salad as it is roasted as an accompaniment. Don’t discard the green fronds; they are very flavorful, and you can use them for the Fennel Risotto (page 77).

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

4 fennel heads
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
1/4 cup roughly chopped raisins
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Juice from 1 lemon

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 450°F.

    Step 2

    Slice the fennel into 1/2-inch-thick wedges, making sure to leave the bolster intact so that the fennel pieces stay together. Place the wedges in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Add 1 cup water.

    Step 3

    Roast until the fennel is soft and fully cooked through, the edges are slightly brown, and the water is completely evaporated, about 40 minutes.

    Step 4

    While the fennel is roasting, combine the walnuts, raisins, parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice in a small bowl and mix well. Make sure that the raisins are well coated with olive oil and not clumped together.

    Step 5

    Remove the fennel from the oven and arrange on a large serving platter. Top with the raisin mixture and serve.

Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation. Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick. Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.
TagsFennelRoot VegetableVegetableSideLunchDinnerVegetarianDairy FreeGluten FreeKetoEasyRoastCookbooks
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