CLAY POT FENNEL

CLAY POT FENNEL

Serves - 4

Prep time - 5 minutes | cook time - 40 minutes

Special equipment - ovenproof clay pot or dutch oven

I reckon this is the best way to cook fennel. I never knew fennel could be this good until I started baking it in a clay pot. When it is in season, we eat this at home a couple of times a week as a side to any meal.

2 fennel bulbs, chopped lengthways into quarters

1 to 1.5 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp melted ghee or olive oil

1 orange

Preheat your oven to 220°C. Add the fennel to a mixing bowl and add the salt, pepper and melted ghee or olive oil. Squeeze in the juice of one orange. Massage the seasoning into the fennel with your hands. Place the fennel into an ovenproof clay pot or cast iron dutch oven. Pour in any liquid from the mixing bowl and put the lid on. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes.

When it’s ready, it will be soft, tender, caramelised and should melt in your mouth. If the fennel still feels a little hard, turn the oven off and leave the fennel inside the clay pot for another 10 - 15 minutes until it has softened. Serve hot and pour over any juice sitting at the bottom of the pot.

Food photography - Nicholas Hannah