This easy Roasted Salmon uses fennel and harissa for a uniquely delicious flavor

Fennel, a vegetable with a “bagpipe” bulb and feathery green fronds, will not win any beauty awards, but it has earned a passionate following by chefs and home cooks alike who prize its sweet anise or licorice-like taste.

Besides its unusual appearance, the bulb has two identities: crunchy with fresh licorice flavor when raw, or sweet and buttery when roasted or sautéed.

I came across fennel for the first time at a restaurant in Italy where it was served sliced paper-thin in a salad with segments of peeled blood oranges and drizzled with a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil and shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I like to scatter Kalamata olives over the salad for an enjoyable lunch appetizer.

A mandoline comes in handy for slicing the fennel and the cheese. Smaller bulbs are milder in flavor, lending them nicely to salads like this or for simply eating raw; larger bulbs have a more pronounced flavor, and are great for grilling, braising and roasting.

How to find the best fennel

Look for white bulbs that are compact and firm, blemish-free and without any cracks. The stalks should be crisp with fronds that show no sign of wilting or flowering. Store unwashed fennel in a plastic bag, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Every part of the vegetable is edible, from the bulb and stalks to the dill-looking fronds. The fronds can be used as a garnish for salads, soups or pasta, and the stalks can be used in soups and stews.

Fennel can be intimidating to work with at first, but once you cut off the stalks and green tops, the bulb is easy to manage. Trim any tough outer layers from the bulb; stand the bulb upright and slice lengthwise into quarters, and cut the core from the center of each quarter.

Like onions, roasted fennel caramelizes beautifully because of its high sugar content. It makes an excellent accompaniment to roast pork, fish or chicken.

Toss fennel on the grill for an unusual partner to grilled main dishes. Cut lengthwise into ½-inch slices, leaving the core intact to keep the fennel from falling apart. Brush with olive oil before placing it directly on the grill. Grill for about 3 to 5 minutes on each side until lightly charred and soft. Remove and splash with the juice from half a lemon.

Fennel is rich in vitamins A and C, fiber and potassium and it’s low in calories.

Ritual Sauvignon Blanc 2019 from Chile ($20.99) is fresh and fruity with abundant citrus and herbal notes, which makes it a great match for the tangy spice of the harissa and balances the fattiness of the salmon.

Lois Milne, author of ‘One Dish Fish,’ (Kyle Books) writes, “This dish makes for a brilliant summer supper. It’s a wonderful balance of sweet, sharp and salty, with a gentle warmth from the harissa. If you like, you can try swapping the butter beans for cannellini beans, boiled potatoes or chickpeas.”

This recipe is adapted from ‘One Dish Fish’ by Lola Milne, Kyle Books.

This recipe originally published in the Miami Herald.

This story was originally published October 5, 2022 at 11:59 AM with the headline "This easy Roasted Salmon uses fennel and harissa for a uniquely delicious flavor."