How do you prepare fresh fennel for cooking?
How do you prepare fresh fennel for cooking? My isntructions just say to "roughly chop", but don't say what parts of the plant to use.
Best Answer
Sometimes the outer leaves are a bit leathery (especially if the quality isn’t too god). When that’s the case I remove them first.
Next, I remove the green stalks – but Jefromi is right, the tiny leaves are delicious.
The kernel in the middle near the base of the fennel bulb is very hard. I usually cut it out by halving the bulb along its length and making two incisions with a sharp knife on either side of the kernel.
I chop the rest of the bulb so that it yields thin concentric slices.
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What part of fennel do you use?
The entire fennel plant is not only edible but delicious. Each part of the fennel plant has a different texture and use: the bulb, the long stalks that make up the length of the plant and the fringe of fronds at the top all have their place in the kitchen.What part of fennel do I cut?
If the outer leaves of the fennel bulb are in rough shape, pull them off and remove them. The only trouble with this is that you end up removing a lot of the fennel (mostly for cosmetic reasons), so instead you could use a vegetable peeler to remove any browned or bruised sections on the outside of the bulb.Do you remove outer layer of fennel?
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Answer 2
It's hard to be absolutely sure without knowing what you're making, but since you say "cooking", it's pretty likely that you want to use the lower portion of the plant - the bulb. "Roughly chopped" is a good indicator that this is right. Those have a crisp texture, something like celery; they're good fresh and raw, but can also be cooked in a variety of ways.
The stems have good flavor but are pretty tough, like celery but much more fibrous. You can add them in big chunks to a long-cooking dish like a stew then fish them out. You can also slice them thinly, breaking up the fibers, and cook in plenty of dishes.
The tiny leaves also have a wonderful flavor, but like most fresh herbs, you don't want to cook them much; the flavor's delicate.
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