Braised Fennel with Orange and Olives
35 minutes · Serves 4
- 3 bulbs fennel, cut into thick wedges
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 orange — zest and juice
- 1/2 cup green olives, torn open
- 1/2 cup water
- to taste salt
- 01 Heat the oil in a wide pan. Lay the fennel wedges in flat and leave them for 5 minutes a side, until deeply browned. Do not crowd or stir.
- 02 Add the orange juice, water, olives, and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer 15–20 minutes until a knife slides through the fennel with no resistance.
- 03 Uncover, raise the heat, and let the liquid reduce to a few spoonfuls of syrupy sauce.
- 04 Finish with the orange zest and any reserved fennel fronds.
Save the feathery fronds when you trim the bulbs — chopped over the top, they do the job of a herb you would otherwise have to buy.