Serves 6
Fennel caramelizes beautifully and can be eaten on its own, but this dish takes it a step further with tomatoes and creamy white beans smothered in a robust Fennel Seed Chili Oil. The result is bursting with layers of fennel flavor and interesting textures. Adapt the chili oil to your preferences, adding more fennel seeds if you love bold anise notes and more red pepper flakes if you like things spicy.
Fennel Seed Chili Oil
½ cup avocado oil
1–2 tablespoons fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle
1–2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, white and green parts, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Caramelized Fennel
2 medium fennel bulbs
2 tablespoons avocado oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Serving
6 small or 3 large heirloom tomatoes
1 15-ounce can white beans (butter or great northern), rinsed and drained
Flaky sea salt
Ground black pepper
To make the chili oil, heat the avocado oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, garlic and green onions. Stir constantly and toast until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce. Let cool slightly and pour into a jar to cool completely. The oil can be made days in advance and stored on the counter in a covered jar.
Trim the stems and fronds as close to the fennel bulbs as possible, saving the fronds for garnish. Slice off the bottom of the root end without removing the core completely, then slice the bulbs vertically into ¼-inch rounds.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the fennel slices in a single layer, making sure not to overlap. You may need to do this in 2 batches. Once a layer is in the pan, season with salt and pepper and lower the heat to medium. Char the pieces for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip over, season again, and char for another 2 minutes. Repeat with all the slices.
Place all the charred fennel into the pan, sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar, cover, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until the fennel softens, flipping halfway through. Remove the lid, add the maple syrup and butter, and let the fennel caramelize for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping every minute.
Slice the tomatoes and scatter them along with the beans on a large platter. Drizzle with a couple of spoonfuls of the chili oil. Add the caramelized fennel on top, drizzle with more chili oil, sprinkle with flaky salt and ground black pepper, garnish with fennel fronds, and serve.
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