Recipe Fennel, mushroom & butter beans with Ouzo

Morning Glory

Morning Glory

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Aniseed is the perfect foil for earthy mushrooms and beans. Pernod could be substituted here, but Ouzo has a slightly more complex, spicy flavour. The curry leaf plays on that spicy dimension. If you can’t obtain curry leaves, substitute tarragon and add a little sprinkle of ground fenugreek. This ’tray bake’ is an easy dish to make. It could be served as a light vegetarian/vegan main course, perhaps with some rye bread or sourdough. It would also make a lovely accompaniment to Italian style sausages or fish.

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Ingredients (serves 2)
1 bulb of fennel (trimmed and cut into 6 or 7 slices )
Olive oil
1 x 400g tin of butter beans (plus their liquor)
125g white mushrooms, sliced thickly
3 thin slices of orange, halved
1 tsp fennel seeds
100ml Ouzo
15 curry leaves
Salt

Method
  1. Heat the oven to 180C.
  2. Place the fennel slices on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes.
  3. Arrange the butter beans (plus liquor), mushrooms and orange slices under and around the fennel.
  4. Sprinkle with fennel seeds and pour over the Ouzo. Tuck approx. 9 curry leaves in and around the dish.
  5. Sprinkle a little salt over the mushrooms.
  6. Drizzle generously with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes. Scatter the remaining curry leaves over the top before serving.

fullsizeoutput_8fb4.jpeg
 
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Morning Glory said:
Aniseed is the perfect foil for earthy mushrooms and beans. Pernod could be substituted here, but Ouzo has a slightly more complex, spicy flavour. The curry leaf plays on that spicy dimension. If you can’t obtain curry leaves, substitute tarragon and add a little sprinkle of ground fenugreek. This ’tray bake’ is an easy dish to make. It could be served as a light vegetarian/vegan main course, perhaps with some rye bread or sourdough. It would also make a lovely accompaniment to Italian style sausages or fish.

View attachment 141867

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 bulb of fennel (trimmed and cut into 6 or 7 slices )
Olive oil
1 x 400g tin of butter beans (plus their liquor)
125g white mushrooms, sliced thickly
3 thin slices of orange, halved
1 tsp fennel seeds
100ml Ouzo
15 curry leaves
Salt

Method
  1. Heat the oven to 180C.
  2. Place the fennel slices on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes.
  3. Arrange the butter beans (plus liquor), mushrooms and orange slices under and around the fennel.
  4. Sprinkle with fennel seeds and pour over the Ouzo. Tuck approx. 9 curry leaves in and around the dish.
  5. Sprinkle a little salt over the mushrooms.
  6. Drizzle generously with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes. Scatter the remaining curry leaves over the top before serving.

View attachment 141868
Click to expand...

What is Ouzo? I’ve never heard it
 
TastyReuben said:
Green peas, maybe? Lentils?
Click to expand...

Lentils such Puy would work (but not orange lentils which would go mushy). They would need pre cooking unless you can get them precooked. Here I can buy them ready cooked, canned or in pouches. Green peas would be far too sweet here, I think. They are also a legume.

detroitdad, are you able to eat pulses such as lentils?

You could use a grain such as barley, farro or sorghum. Again, you would need to pre cook. Potatoes would work, although it would be a rather different dish. Use waxy potatoes and cut into thick coin shapes (no need to pre-cook, but cook in the dish until tender and becoming golden brown). Add the pototoes in Step 1 along with the fennel.
 
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