Best Fish Flambe With Fennel Recipes

FENNEL-GRILLED BASS FLAMBEED WITH PERNOD / LOUP DE MER AU FENOUIL FLAMBE'

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the grill to medium-high.2. Rinse the fish, inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Make 3 diagonal slashes, to the bone, in each side of each fish. Season the fish, inside and out (including the side slashes), with salt and pepper. Place 2 dried fennel stalks in each cavity. Brush the fish on both sides with the oil and season again with salt and pepper.3. When ready to cook, arrange 6 fennel stalks on a serving platter and set aside. Place the remaining fennel stalks directly on the hot coals and oil the grill grate. If you're worried about the fish sticking, use hinged fish grilling baskets otherwise, place both fish directly on the hot grate and grill until the skin on the first side is dark and crisp and the flesh is cooked through to the bone on that side, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn each fish carefully with a long spatula and cook on the second side until the flesh breaks into firm flakes when pressed with a finger, another 10 to 15 minutes. During the last 2 or so minutes of cooking, warm the Pernod in a heavy saucepan at the side of the grill don't let it boil, or even get too warm to touch.4. Using the spatula, transfer each fish carefully to the fennel stalknlined platter. Pour the warmed Pernod over the fish and then, making sure your hair is tied back and your sleeves are rolled up, avert your face and ignite the liqueur carefully with a long match. Carefully bring the flaming fish to the table, then, when the flame dies out, fillet the fish and serve at once, with lemon wedges.Serves 4Note: Loup de mer is a long, slender, dark gray fish with a fine-flavored, tender white flesh. While it corresponds most closely to North American sea bass, snapper, striped bass, or sea trout could be substituted here.Fennel-Grilled Bass Flambéed with Pernod IIPrepare as described in the main recipe, substituting a bulb of fresh fennel, trimmed, for the dried stalks. Cut the fennel into thin lengthwise slices. Place a few slices in the cavity of each fish and toss a few strips on the coals before grilling the fish. Brush the remaining fennel slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then grill, along with the fish, until tender and nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side, turning with tongs. Arrange the grilled fennel slices on the serving platter and place the grilled fish on top. Flambé as described above and serve. (The advantage of this method is that you can eat the grilled fennel.)

FISH WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Cut lime in half; cut four slices from one half for garnish. Finely grate enough peel from remaining half to measure 3/4 teaspoon; squeeze juice from lime half. Set aside., In a dry small skillet over medium heat, toast fennel seeds until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes. Cool. Crush seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle., In a large saucepan, bring 1 in. of water to a boil. Add sliced fennel and salt; cover and boil for 6-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and pat dry., In a large nonstick skillet, saute fennel in 2 teaspoons oil for 3 minutes or until fennel is lightly browned. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the pan and set aside. , In the same skillet over medium-high heat, cook fillets in remaining oil for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. , Drizzle with lime juice; sprinkle with lime peel and crushed fennel seeds. Serve with sauteed fennel. Garnish with fennel fronds and lime slices.,

30-MINUTE COD WITH LEMONY BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Trim the tops and bottoms from the fennel bulbs, reserving a handful of the fronds for garnish. Quarter the bulbs. Set each quarter on its side and slice off most of the core. Cut the quarters into wedges about 1-inch thick (don't worry if some pieces fall off the wedge-use those too).
• Put 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Place over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the fennel and cook without stirring until fennel is brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir and let the fennel continue to cook until some more pieces brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of pepper. Lower the heat to medium, cover the skillet, and cook 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle the cod with salt and pepper and place on top of the fennel. Cover the pan again and simmer, adding more liquid occasionally if the pan is dry, until the fennel is very tender and the cod is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the reserved fennel fronds (you should have about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons) and remove the zest from the lemon. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cool. Mix the fennel fronds and lemon zest into the breadcrumbs until combined.
• Juice the lemon. Roughly chop the olives.
• When the cod and fennel are done, stir in the lemon juice and the olives. Remove from the heat and let stand for about 1 minute to warm the olives. Transfer the fennel and cod to serving bowls and top the fish with the toasted breadcrumbs. Pour any remaining pan juices over the fennel.