Braised Fennel with Hummus and Harissa Oil
Photography Aaron McLean.
Lots of different vegetables can be braised. If fennel is unavailable try using leeks, red onions, shallots, celeriac or small carrots.
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
Fennel
4 medium fennel bulbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
80 mls balsamic vinegar
200 mls vegetable stock
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Smoked Paprika Hummus
1x 400 gram tin cooked chickpeas, drained
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
juice of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons tahini
100 mls olive oil
Harissa Oil
60 mls extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons harissa pinch of salt
METHOD
Fennel: Trim and wash the fennel and reserve the feathery tops. Cut through the centre from the top so that each half will lie flat. Heat the oil in a heavy-based sauté pan over a medium heat.
Brown the fennel evenly on both sides. Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce* it until syrupy. Add the stock, season, cover and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook until the liquid has reduced* by two thirds. Turn off the heat and leave the fennel until ready to serve.
Hummus: Place all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the olive oil in a steady stream then season adding extra lemon juice and a little water to thin if needed.
Harissa Oil: Whisk the harissa and salt into the oil. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
To serve: Spread the hummus on a platter and pile the fennel in the middle. Spoon any pan juices over the top. Drizzle the harissa oil over the hummus and garnish with reserved fennel fronds. Serves 4-6
*To reduce: is to boil a liquid, often stock, wine or a sauce, rapidly until the volume is reduced by evaporation, thereby thickening the consistency and intensifying the flavor.
Harissa: [Har-ritha] A fiery hot sauce from North Africa, made from chilli, garlic, cumin, coriander and caraway. Available from good food stores or see page 144 to order.
Sweet smoked paprika: Sweet pimientos are slowly smoked over fire then ground to produce an intense paprika. Also available in bittersweet and hot from good food stores
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We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.