Lemon roasted fennel tossed with olives, oranges, raisins, and breadcrumbs for the Food Network #FallFest.
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Itโs time for the Food Network blogger-fest again โ and as we wrap up #FallFest, the theme this week is a holiday side dish. I like to make side dishes that can do double duty as an entrรฉe if I (or anyone else) want to go vegetarian for the meal. Over the past few years, Iโve made countless batches of brown rice, farro, quinoa, couscous, or barley to use as a pilaf-y kind of base to be tossed with what everyone else is using as a side. Itโs been so successful, in fact, that I typically keep bags of cooked grains in the freezer, all labeled, so I can pull a meal together quickly. I just reheat the grains with whatever seasonings and condiments will marry well with the side, and Iโm good to go.
This dish of lemon roasted fennel topped with kalamata andย green olives, lemon, oranges, raisins and breadcrumbs is a perfect example. Iย pull some cooked quinoa from the freezer, heat it up with some squirts of lemon and orange juices, throw in a pinch of fennel seed, mix in some of the roasted fennel dish, and Iโve got a great dinner!
Cooking Tips
The fennel and lemon can be roasted two days in advance, and the entire dish can be made through the step of folding in the breadcrumb mixture. Just cover with plastic and refrigerate. Rewarm at 350หF for 20 minutes before continuing with the recipe.
Wimpy Tip
As aย ย side dish, it's great served with almost any meat โ but lamb or chicken would be my first choices.
Vegan Tip
Just nix the gorgonzola to make this vegan. The cheese adds a sharp contrast to the dish that nice for added depth, but itโs still really good without it.
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Lemon Roasted Fennel with Olives and Breadcrumbs
Print Recipe Save Pin Recipe Add to Recipe Collection Add to Shopping ListIngredients
- 4 large fennel bulbs
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- ยผ teaspoon black pepper
- ยผ teaspoon dried thyme
- Juice from 2 large navel oranges
- ยผ cup sliced kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoon sliced green olives
- 2 teaspoon minced roasted lemons
- ยผ cup yellow raisins
- โ cup Panko or homemade breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon gorgonzola
- 1 navel orange peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400หF. Slice each fennel bulb into 8 wedges and place in a baking pan. Lay the thin lemon slices over and around the fennel. Drizzle with olive oil and dust with salt, pepper, and thyme. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender.Remove one of the roasted lemon slices and mince. You should have 2 teaspoons of minced roasted lemon. Set it aside.
- Bring the orange juice to a simmer in a skillet over medium-high heat. When reduced by half, it will begin to caramelize. Add the olives, minced roasted lemon, raisins, and breadcrumbs, and sautรฉ until fragrant and the breadcrumbs are lightly toasted.
- Remove the remaining roasted lemons from the baking dish and discard them. Sprinkle the Gorgonzola over the fennel and fold the breadcrumb mixture around it.
- (If making this ahead, you can stop here, cover with plastic and refrigerate. Rewarm at 350F for 15 minutes before continuing.)
- Broil for 2 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the fennel and breadcrumbs are lightly crisped.
- Remove and sprinkle with the finely chopped oranges and chives.
- Serve warm.
Rosemary
I have so many Meyer lemons now -- not that I'm complaining! - this will be a perfect use. Will also use my preserved lemons in place of the roasted lemon. (did I miss a recipe for roasted lemon somewhere?)
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Preserved lemons would be perfect! The roasted lemon minced was just part of the lemons slices that get roasted with the fennel. Because the fennel and lemon slices are also salted, it's kind of like the easy way to preserve. Sort of. Or at least the flavor is very similar.
cheri
Hi Susan, I love roasted fennel, such a wonderful flavor, love all the components of this dish.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm a huge fan of fennel, cheri! Thanks so much!
Rita
This sounds dee-lish Susan. My kind of baked side dish. And... I'm the "queen of tarts" as you can probably tell by my many vinegar posts. I love tangy.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I love that, Rita, the Queen of Tarts. If I make it to one of our pot luck get together, I'll bring this!
Oui, Chef
WOW....I could eat this dish EVERY day!
John
This recipe sounds just delicious. But I'll need some help. A newly widowed octogenarian, I am just teaching myself to cook and find myself confused. In step 1, your directions indicate slicing 1 lemon and tucking the slices in and around the fennel. Then in step 2 we're told to add "the minced roasted lemon." Did I miss something? Is there another lemon that got roasted somewhere? Or am I meant to pull out the slices from among the fennel wedges and chop them up when that step is done? Please forgive my ignorance, and thank you in advance for your assistance!
Susan Pridmore
I've added additional details to the recipe to make it clearer! I apologize that it was a little vague. You can also substitute minced preserved lemon for the roasted lemon.