Caramelised Fennel

5 from 1 vote

Caramelised Fennel is an easy recipe using fennel bulbs. Cooked on the stove top this side dish pairs well with chicken and pork.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Western

Keyword: caramelised fennel

Servings:

Calories: 160kcal

Fennel bulbs: use a sharp knife and cutting board to remove the fennel stalks and fronds. Once done remove the outer skin of the bulb and then cut the remaining bulb in half. Next cut each half in half again and repeat to create small wedges.
Cook: place a large frying pan onto the stove top, add the olive oil and turn the heat to high. Next add the fennel wedges and season with salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes using a wooden spoon to move the fennel around in the pan as it cooks.
Caramelise: after the initial 8-10 minutes of cook time is up, turn the heat to low add the butter and stir to combine. Next pour in the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Stir again to combine. Cook the fennel for a further 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and deglazing the pan occasionally throughout this time. Test the fennel at the 15 minute mark. It should be soft without being too firm but still with a little bit of bite to it. Continue to cook until it gets to this point.
To serve: turn the stove off and use paper towel to absorb any excess liquid in the pan (most will have absorbed throughout the cooking process). Then transfer the caramelised fennel wedges to a serving plate and garnish with the chopped fennel fronds. Serve warm.

Note 1 - Fennel: we cut the fennel to remove the stalks and fronds. But we do reserve the fronds as we want to finely chop them and use them for garnish later on.
Note 2 - Butter: as we have seasoned the fennel wedges with salt, we want to use unsalted butter. This means the dish won't be 'too salty'. We add the butter after we have initially cooked the fennel wedges for 8-10 minutes in the olive oil. Most of the oil, butter and balsamic vinegar (all of the liquids) will absorb into the fennel as it cooks.