While not very well known here, Fennel is a very popular vegetable in all of Europe. Growing up we had a version of this dish, but because it was a bit bland and boring and changed some of the ingredients and voila!, this this very tasty version was born. The preparation of this dish takes hardly any time, but the baking does.
Ingredients:
- Fennel (2 per person if it is a large side dish, 1 if it is a small side dish)
- Parmesan, freshly graded
- Red pepper flakes
- Nutmeg, ground
- Aluminum foil or baking dish cover
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 425
- Cut the greenery, stalks and any bruised parts off and cut fennel lengthwise in half
- Sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon of parmesan
- Sprinkle some of the fennels with red pepper flakes, the others with grated nutmeg
- Place on baking sheet or pan and put in the oven
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, check periodically to make sure that the tops are not browning too much.
- Cover with aluminum foil or baking dish cover after about 25 -30 minutes to avoid further browning of tops. Bake for 10 - 15 more minutes until soft when poked with a knife.
- Serve and enjoy!
Note: the outermost layer of the fennel might be a bit though. I don't mind it and eat it all, but some people choose to remove that part and eat only the inside.
