Zuppa di Finocchio - Creamy Fennel Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm still able to buy fennel very cheaply. Last weekend I bought several large bulbs to try an idea I'd been mulling over. I wanted to make a creamy fennel soup that had an unmistakably anise flavor, but had the same grainy texture as a properly made potato soup. How hard could it be? I set to work and did the requisite dicing and slicing and had my pot on the stove in 30 minutes. In addition to fennel, the pot contain a large potato to help with thickening, some celery and, most importantly, finely ground caraway seeds to boost the anise flavor. I let the contents of the pot simmer for about an hour, then pureed the contents of the pot using an immersion blender. I thinned the soup with light cream, garnished it with fennel fronds and served it warm with seeded rye croutons. It was really good and I'll definitely be making it again. I gave it an Italian name to give it more panache. I thought some of you might enjoy the recipe. Here's how it's made.

Zuppa di Finocchio - Creamy Fennel Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored and coarsely chopped
1 (8 to 12-oz.) large Idaho potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 to 1 teaspoon teaspoon pulverized caraway seeds
4 cups low-sodium Chicken broth
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light cream
Garnish: fennel fronds

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a large (4 to 5-quart) pan. Add fennel, potato, celery, and garlic. Cover pan, reduce heat, and sweat vegetables until soft but not brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add pulverized caraway seed, chicken broth, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, partially covered, for 50 minutes. Remove bay leaf
2) Puree soup with an immersion blender. Strain soup if desired. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fennel fronds. Serve with seeded rye croutons. Yield: 5 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Mussels in Fennel Cream Sauce - Blissful Bites
Fennel, Olive and Orange Salad - The Creative Pot
Fennel Roasted Carrots - Handle the Heat
Apple Fennel Salad - Jenny Learns to Cook
Bouillabaise de Poulet - One Perfect Bite
Raw Beet and Fennel Salad - For the Love of Food

Bouillabaisse de Poulet - French Chicken Stew with Fennel and Saffron - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Fall is wonderful in its abundance. In a scant few weeks prices will again begin to rise, but for now, the fruits and vegetables with which I love to cook are affordable and encourage generosity in the kitchen. Once our first rains fall, I put away the recipes of summer and replace them with those that speak to cooler weather. It's time for robust soups and stews and casseroles. It is especially time for bouillabaisse. Most of us think of bouillabaisse as a heady Mediterranean stew that's made with fish and served with grilled bread and thickened with rouille, a red pepper mayonnaise. Julia Child and Patricia Wells both take the elements of that classic bouillabaise, but replace the fish with chicken and make what they call a "bouillabaisse de poulet." The results are delicious, perfect for family and friends who enjoy checkered tablecloth fare. The dish should be assembled a full 24 hours before serving. It takes that long for the flavors of the Pernod and fennel to permeate the chicken. The good news is that all the work is done the day before the dish is cooked and you really are free to enjoy the company of your family and friends. Like many old French recipes, this one, designated peasant fare, requires the purse of a prince to assemble. Pernod, fennel bulbs and saffron come dear, but they are absolutely necessary for the success of this dish. For what it's worth, this is one of my ten favorite meals. If you decide to make this, your mindset must be "in for a penny, in for a pound." You will not regret it. Here's the recipe. Bon appetit!

Bouillabaisse de Poulet...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by Marie-Louise Auteli and Patricia Wells

Ingredients:
4 tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 large onions, quartered
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 large fennel bulbs with feathery leaves attached, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Pernod or other licorice-flavored aperitif
Generous pinch of saffron
Small handful of fresh thyme, or several teaspoons dried thyme
4 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken legs with thighs attached, skin removed
1 pound waxy potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:
1) One full day before serving, combine tomatoes, onions, garlic, fennel, olive oil, Pernod, saffron, herbs, and seasonings in a nonreactive large covered casserole or Dutch oven. Stir to blend. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours to blend seasonings.
2) One hour before cooking, remove chicken from refrigerator. Stew chicken in its marinade, covered, over medium heat, stirring from time to time, for about 30 minutes. Add potatoes and chicken broth and simmer until potatoes are cooked, an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Serve in warmed shallow soup bowls. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Savoury Chicken Hot Pot - The English Kitchen
Chicken Stew with Dumplings - Whine and Dine
Daring Cooks: Brunswick Stew - Tasty Eats at Home
Kerala Chicken Stew - Mishmash!
Tomatillo Chicken Stew - Simply Recipes
Cazuela Gaucho: Argentine Chicken Stew - 5 Star Foodie
Braised Chicken with Riesling - One Perfect Bite
Coq au Vin: Recipes to Rival - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Onion and Fennel Bisque - Outdoor Wednesday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I found this recipe years ago on the Kaiser Permanente website. I tried it, loved it and made it a permanent feature of our summer table. I've seen it since on Epicurious and other more tony sites, so I know my judgment regarding the original soup was sound. The predominant flavor in the soup is fresh fennel. There are two types of this aromatic plant. Both types have feathery foliage and edible stems and leaves, but Florence fennel, or finocchio, which has a broad bulbous base is what's used in this soup. This type of fennel is often mislabeled "sweet anise," causing those who don't like the flavor of licorice to avoid it. The flavor of fennel, however, is sweeter and more delicate than anise when it's cooked. This is a really simple soup that's packed with flavor. It can be served hot or cold and it's a perfect accompaniment to a summer meal. Here's the recipe.

Onion and Fennel Bisque...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients: 2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped (1 cup)
3 medium red onions, chopped (3 1/2 cups)
1/2 lb fennel bulb (sometimes called anise), stalks discarded and bulb cored and chopped (1-1/4 cups)
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1-1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons Pernod Garnish: chopped fresh chives

Directions:
1) Wash leeks well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.
2) Cook onions, leeks, fennel, and garlic in butter in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes. Add wine and boil, uncovered, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add stock, water, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and liquid is reduced to about 6 cups, about 15 minutes.
3) Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then transfer to bowls and chill or serve. Yield: 5 cups.

This recipe is being linked to Outdoor Wednesday, an event sponsored by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.