Description
Fennel bulbs halved, seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper, seared over direct heat and then roasted over indirect heat until soft and sweet.
Ingredients
- 2 large fennel bulbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the fennel: Trim the root end and the stalks from the fennel bulbs, and cut each bulb in half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
- Prepare the grill: Set up your grill for indirect medium-high heat. On a gas grill, turn the two outer burners to high and leave the middle burners off.
- Sear the fennel: Put the fennel cut side down over the direct heat, and grill for 3 to 6 minutes, until it has good grill marks.
- Roast the fennel: Move the fennel to the indirect (unlit) part of the grill, cut side up. Close the lid and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, until a paring knife slides easily into the core.
- Serve: Cut each half into 4 wedges, and serve.
Notes
Equipment: A grill (I use a Weber Summit 650).
The thick core takes longer to cook than the outer layers - give it time.
Raw fennel has a strong licorice flavor. Grilling softens it and makes it sweet, with just a hint of licorice.
Save the fronds - they make a great herb. I used them to stuff my grilled trout.
Grilled fennel is great tossed into a green salad.
Indirect only: Skip the searing, and cook the fennel over indirect heat the whole time, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Direct heat: If you're in a hurry, cut the fennel into 1/2 inch slices and grill over direct medium heat for about 8 minutes per side, rotating a quarter turn halfway through each side.
Grilled fennel and orange salad: Peel and section an orange over a bowl to catch the juices. Use the juice to make a vinaigrette, and toss with the grilled fennel and orange sections.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes