Years ago on my first trip to Paolo's homeland, Italy, I was introduced to fennel. I tasted it in many ways and now love using it fresh in salads, or layered with potato as a gratin.
The anise qualities are said to make it good for the digestion. In Italy, chunks of the bulb are put in iced water and placed on the table as a refreshing digestive crunch.
Serves 4-6
• 30ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1kg Florentine bulb fennel, trimmed, washed and diced
• 500g Agria potatoes, peeled and diced
• 8 garlic cloves peeled and cut in half
• Salt to taste
• ¼ teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and ground in a mortar with 5 whole black peppercorns
• About 500ml vegetable stock or chicken stock
• 80g shaved Grana Padano cheese or a good aged cheddar
• 6 slices Ciabatta bread, 1 cm thick, toasted
1. Put the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, add the onion and celery and cook until translucent. Add the chopped fennel and season with salt. Cook gently for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.