FENNEL’S FAMILY TREE
Fennel is part of the Apiaceae family and
is related to parsley, dill, celery, celeriac
and carrots, among other vegetables
and herbs. The family likeness appears
in the way the plants flower.
At Barking Frog, a fennel confit is served with this Anderson Ranch rack of lamb with
Israeli couscous risotto, green beans and a shallot/lamb demi-glace.
Bobby Moore, executive chef of Barking
Frog at Willows Lodge, Woodinville,
Wash., sees the similarities in the
textures of the related ingredients.
“They are root vegetables, like turnips,
carrots and fennel. They are great
in the fall or late spring. I like to use
Thumbelina carrots, mixed heirloom
carrots and a blend of root vegetables. I
love the texture of them all.”
fennel sausage and various spice blends
we make here.”
Moore gets some fennel from a local farmer,
and she is especially protective of it. “When I
get it, no one is allowed to touch it but me. We
also get some from our produce purveyor.”
time. If it’s not on the actual menu, then it’s
tucked away inside a slaw or something.
“Fennel is one of my absolute favorite
ingredients. Between fennel and celery
root, I feel I could write menus for years.
My favorite combination is fennel, orange
segments and Marcona almonds.”
Leonard Hollander, executive chef at
Marion Street Cheese Market, Oak
Park, Ill., says, “Celery root and fennel
are both so versatile. They’re both
incredible cooked, uncooked, marinated
or fried. Anything you do with them is
great. They even make great chips.”
Other chefs not only like to use fennel in
recipes, but also find it suits their dietary
needs. “I’m allergic to tree fruit, so I can’t
eat raw apples and peaches. I really miss
apples, so fennel is my apple,” says Bobby
Moore, executive chef of Barking Frog at
Willows Lodge, Woodinville, Wash. “I bite
right into it. I love the crunchiness and how
clean it is. It has a good amount of water in
it, and it’s juicy like an apple.”
SHAVED FENNEL
A popular way to add fennel’s sought-after
flavor and crunchy texture is with shaved
fennel. Moore at The Lazy Goat serves a
roasted banana leaf-wrapped Mediterranean
branzino with crushed fingerling potatoes,
shaved fennel and charmoula.
Vicky Moore, chef de cuisine at The Lazy
Goat, Greenville, S.C., uses fennel and
its family members in her housemade
stock. “Fennel and carrot both have a
sweetness to them. When we make
our own vegetable stock, I always have
celery and carrot in there, and we use
fennel scraps in the stock, as well.”
Leonard Hollander, executive chef at Marion
Street Cheese Market, Oak Park, Ill., admits
he sneaks fennel into a lot of dishes. “I think
it’s such a super-versatile ingredient. If you
come to my restaurant, you will see it all the
“We’re a Mediterranean-influenced
restaurant, and fennel is the epitome of
Mediterranean for me,” Moore says. “Its
flavor, even when cooked, still has the
anise quality in it. We shave it for this dish,
then saute it slightly, because we still want
the crunch but want to make it quickly.”
Elijah Gurman, sous chef at Eden,
Miami Beach, Fla., says the family of
vegetables can be used in a number of
ways. “They are versatile and are great
either sweet or savory. You can find
many interesting ways to cook them.”
