Nourishing, easy and delicious. Every corner of the internet is telling us to eat our legumes. Confit fennel with butter beans is an easy and fun way to boost your legume quota, but also a fun alternative to the classic bean soup or casserole.
Fennel really lends itself to confit. We cheat a little by adding some stock (vegetarian, chicken, or bone broth). Flavour is enhanced with fenugreek, carrots (fennel and carrots are great partners) and plenty of garlic. According to the BBC, fennel has numerous health benefits, including heart health. Although it is mainly an autumn/early winter crop, locally grown fennel is available year-round in a lot of Europe, especially here in Greece.
This fine, flavoursome bulb finds its way onto our menu most weeks, a top contender for roast chicken (sliced thickly and tucked underneath with plenty of garlic), thinly sliced with oranges for a winter salad with some form of creamy cheese, or tossed into a cabbage salad. Choose pale green or white tightly packed heavy bulbs with bright green fronds and no spots or cracks. Avoid shrivelled bulbs or flowering heads.
Fennel Confit
There are many confit methods, but I prefer the traditional oven method with olive oil. Rub the fennel and carrots with a little salt and pepper; you can then add either fenugreek and a little lemon zest, or saffron, orange zest, and a little turmeric. Both are delicious. Bake (covered) in the oven for about 45 minutes or until soft – i.e., you can cut with a fork. Turn halfway through and add the stock. Drain the juices – and set aside the fennel and garlic.
Cook a very finely sliced onion in a little olive oil until translucent; then add the drained juice and the beans. Finally, when heated through, toss in the vegetables, heat through again, and serve in shallow bowls. Garnish with the fennel fonds, more orange zest and, if you like, slivers of Parmesan.
Its devilishy good. More bean stuff here.
Confit Fennel with Butter Beans
Ingredients
- 2-3 large fennel bulbs cut lengthwise 1.5 cm thickness. Keep the fronds.
- 1-2 carrots cut into large matchsticks
- 3-4 plump garlic cloves you will roast them with the fennel so they need to be a good size
- 1 tsp fenugreek or turmeric
- 1 orange (1 tsp zest and 1 tbsp juice) or pinch saffron and turmeric and 1 tbsp lemon juice/1 tsp zest
- 1 tsp chilli flakes optional
- 50 ml olive oil
- 400 ml stock of your choice
- 1 large onion – finely sliced
- 400 g butter beans 150-200g dried beans
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C
- Rub the fennel and carrots with a little salt and pepper; you can then add either fenugreek and lemon juice/zest, or saffron, orange juice/zest, and turmeric. Lay the fennel and carrot slices in an oven dish. They need to be in one layer and tightly packed. Pour in the olive oil until just over halfway up the sides of the fennel.
- Tuck the garlic cloves around the fennel. Scatter over the chilli flakes. Bake (covered), turning halfway through. Add enough stock to just cover the fennel. Bake for about 45 minutes in total or until soft (i.e., you can cut with a fork). Drain the juices – and set aside the fennel and garlic.
- Cook a very finely sliced onion in a little olive oil until translucent; then add the fennel juice, remaining stock* and the butter beans. Squeeze out the garlic from its skin and stir it into the onion mixture with some freshly ground black pepper.
- Bring to a gentle bubble and then simmer for 5-6 minutes (until heated through). Check for seasoning and add the fennel slices. Heat through again if needed.
- Serve in shallow bowls – arranging the fennel slices on top of the beans. Garnish with the fennel fonds and, if you like, slivers of parmesan.
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