Roasted Fennel with Spiced Cashews
By Keith DresserPublished on December 7, 2020
Time
55 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Fennel
2 fennel bulbs, bases lightly trimmed, 2 tablespoons fronds chopped coarse, stalks discarded2 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 tablespoons vegetable oil ¼ teaspoon pepperCashews
1 teaspoon water ½ teaspoon brown sugar ¼ cup coarsely chopped raw cashews 2 teaspoons vegetable oil ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds ½ teaspoon fennel seeds ½ teaspoon nigella seeds ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds⅛ teaspoon kosher saltBefore You Begin
Look for fennel bulbs that measure 3½ to 4 inches in diameter and weigh around 1 pound with the stalks (12 to 14 ounces without); trim the bases very lightly so that the bulbs remain intact. Yellow mustard seeds can be used instead of the brown. Nigella seeds are sometimes called black cumin or kalonji.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray.
- Cut each fennel bulb lengthwise through core into 8 wedges (do not remove core). Whisk water and salt in large bowl until salt is dissolved. Add fennel wedges to bowl and toss gently to coat. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with pepper, and toss gently to coat. Arrange fennel wedges cut side down along 2 longer sides of prepared sheet. Drizzle any water in bowl evenly over fennel wedges. Cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 20 minutes.
- While fennel roasts, stir water and sugar in small bowl until sugar is dissolved; set aside. Heat cashews and oil in 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cashews are fragrant and just starting to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, and fenugreek seeds and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add water mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until water has evaporated and cashews are toasty, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl and toss with salt. Let cool completely, about 10 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and chop fine.
- Remove foil from sheet and continue to roast until side of fennel touching sheet is browned, 5 to 8 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting. Flip each fennel wedge to second cut side. Continue to roast until second side is browned, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer to large plate. Sprinkle with cashews and fennel fronds and serve.
for the fennel
for the cashews
Time
55 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Fennel
Cashews
Ingredients
Fennel
Cashews
Ingredients
Fennel
Cashews
Why This Recipe Works
For our roasted fennel, we began by cutting the bulbs into wedges, which had two benefits: It provided good surface area for browning, and the attached core kept the pieces intact. Covering the pieces with foil for most of the cooking time allowed them to steam and turn creamy; we then removed the foil for the last 10 minutes of roasting so that they could turn golden and deliciously caramelized. We also tossed the wedges with salted water before covering them, which provided moisture for steaming and helped get seasoning between their layers. Arranging the pieces on the long sides of a rimmed baking sheet ensured that all the pieces got equal exposure to the heat and browned evenly. A finishing sprinkle of sweet and spicy toasted cashews was the ideal partner to the tender fennel.
Before You Begin
Look for fennel bulbs that measure 3½ to 4 inches in diameter and weigh around 1 pound with the stalks (12 to 14 ounces without); trim the bases very lightly so that the bulbs remain intact. Yellow mustard seeds can be used instead of the brown. Nigella seeds are sometimes called black cumin or kalonji.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray.
- Cut each fennel bulb lengthwise through core into 8 wedges (do not remove core). Whisk water and salt in large bowl until salt is dissolved. Add fennel wedges to bowl and toss gently to coat. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with pepper, and toss gently to coat. Arrange fennel wedges cut side down along 2 longer sides of prepared sheet. Drizzle any water in bowl evenly over fennel wedges. Cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 20 minutes.
- While fennel roasts, stir water and sugar in small bowl until sugar is dissolved; set aside. Heat cashews and oil in 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cashews are fragrant and just starting to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, and fenugreek seeds and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add water mixture and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until water has evaporated and cashews are toasty, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl and toss with salt. Let cool completely, about 10 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and chop fine.
- Remove foil from sheet and continue to roast until side of fennel touching sheet is browned, 5 to 8 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting. Flip each fennel wedge to second cut side. Continue to roast until second side is browned, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer to large plate. Sprinkle with cashews and fennel fronds and serve.
for the fennel
for the cashews
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