I did this for a feast about 18 months ago. It came out very well. The test dish had a very thick sauce, but when expanding for the full feast (of 225 people) it was more liquidy and soupish.
As for using the white parts of the fennel, there is a fennel salad on the florilegium site (I think in the food-vegetable category). It also has apples in it I believe. But there is also this dish that can use up the white part of the fennel:
Fenkel in Soppes (Pleyn Delight #4)
Take blades of Fenkel ; shrede hem not to smale, do hem to seep in water and oile and oynons minced therwith. Do therto saffron and salt and powder douce. Serve it forth ; take brede ytosted and lay the sewe onoward.1 bunch fennel, 2 onions, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/8 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt
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Here's the apple and fennel dish I was thinking of. Don't have the documentation with it.
Cabbage with fennel and apple (Santich's redaction)
Finely shred 1/4 Savoy (green) cabbage, drop into boiling salted water and boil 1 minute, then drain and rinse. Finely slice 1 small onion and half a bulb of fennel. Fry in 2-3 tablespoons olive oil until soft. Peel, quarter, and core a small apple and cut into small cubes (chop). Add to onion and fennel with drained cabbage and a little stock or water. Cover and steam for 5 min., then remove lid and cook a little longer to evaporate most of the liquid. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.
As a variant, add strips of pancetta to the pan with the onion and fennel. The salty tang of the pancetta contrasts nicely with the natural sweetness of the onion, fennel, and apple.
For feast cooking, the advantage to the second recipe is that it can be made the day before (or first thing in the morning), as it can be served cold or warm or room temperature. The greens of the fennel will last a day or two when cut from the rootball so will still be fresh for the chicken dish.
The first dish is also good, but is definately something that has to be prepared fresh for the feast for it to be warm. If done before it gets a little soggy, and to reheat it might make it mushy.
Excellent. I've actually never prepped fennel any earlier than the day of, so that's good to know.
Oh! And I found the original for that recipe in case you need it. :) Thanks again for posting it for me!
Cauli Verdi (Libro Della Cochina) (Translated)
Take the tips of cabbage, and boil them: then remove them, and fry in oil with sliced onion, and the white part of fennel, and sliced apple; and add a little stock: and then serve it in bowls and sprinkle with spices. And you can also cook it with salted pork fat, with cheese and with poached eggs, and add spices; and offer it to your Lord.
As for using the white parts of the fennel, there is a fennel salad on the florilegium site (I think in the food-vegetable category). It also has apples in it I believe. But there is also this dish that can use up the white part of the fennel:
Fenkel in Soppes (Pleyn Delight #4)
Take blades of Fenkel ; shrede hem not to smale, do hem to seep in water and oile and oynons minced therwith. Do therto saffron and salt and powder douce. Serve it forth ; take brede ytosted and lay the sewe onoward.1 bunch fennel, 2 onions, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/8 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt ( ... )
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Cabbage with fennel and apple (Santich's redaction)
Finely shred 1/4 Savoy (green) cabbage, drop into boiling salted water and boil 1 minute, then drain and rinse. Finely slice 1 small onion and half a bulb of fennel. Fry in 2-3 tablespoons olive oil until soft. Peel, quarter, and core a small apple and cut into small cubes (chop). Add to onion and fennel with drained cabbage and a little stock or water. Cover and steam for 5 min., then remove lid and cook a little longer to evaporate most of the liquid. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.
As a variant, add strips of pancetta to the pan with the onion and fennel. The salty tang of the pancetta contrasts nicely with the natural sweetness of the onion, fennel, and apple.
Reply
Reply
The first dish is also good, but is definately something that has to be prepared fresh for the feast for it to be warm. If done before it gets a little soggy, and to reheat it might make it mushy.
Reply
Oh! And I found the original for that recipe in case you need it. :) Thanks again for posting it for me!
Cauli Verdi (Libro Della Cochina) (Translated)
Take the tips of cabbage, and boil them: then remove them, and fry in oil with sliced onion, and the white part of fennel, and sliced apple; and add a little stock: and then serve it in bowls and sprinkle with spices. And you can also cook it with salted pork fat, with cheese and with poached eggs, and add spices; and offer it to your Lord.
Reply
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