How to Prep Fennel

Fennel is a somewhat awkward-looking vegetable with a broad bulb and and frilly green frawns. When raw, it has a distinct anise or licorice flavor; however when cooked, it becomes much more mellow and slightly sweet.

Fennel can be used raw in salads or cooked a number of ways. For my recipe testing, I tried the fennel three ways: roasted, boiled and sautéed. The roasted fennel seemed to have the mildest flavor of the three methods. When sautéed, the anise was still present, but not nearly as prominent as the boiled fennel. Classic pairings with fennel include apples and oranges, which help bring out the sweeter side.

If you plan to work with fennel, here are a few basic steps to get you going:

Step One:

Cut the frawns from the bulb. The frawns can be used as garnish, mixed in salads, or saved for the stock pot.

Step Two:

Cut the fennel bulb in half.

Step Three:

Using your knife, remove the center core from each of the halves.

Step Four:

Slice the fennel bulbs into strips.

Step Five:

Dice the fennel to your desired width.