Braised Fennel With Carrots and Potatoes

The slightly aniseed taste of fennel is a great match with carrots and potatoes, so I combined them all in this original recipe. It's a real treat served as a side dish with roast pork and gravy!

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  large fennel bulb
• 25  g butter
• 3  cloves garlic, crushed and sliced
• 4  carrots, sliced
• 1  onion, halved and sliced
• 3  potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1⁄2 cups  chicken stock
• 1⁄2 cup wine

Directions

1. Cut the top off the fennel, reserving feathery leaves.
2. Chop feathery leaves finely and reserve.
3. Cut fennel into quarters, remove core and any tough outer layers, and slice finely.
4. Melt butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven.
5. Add garlic, fennel, carrots, onion and potato, together with ground fennel, salt and pepper.
6. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the onions and fennel are beginning to soften and turn transparent.
7. Add chicken stock, wine and fennel leaves and heat until simmering.
8. Lower heat, cover and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes, or until carrots and potatoes are soft.
9. Remove cover, increase heat and allow to boil briskly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato is broken down into an almost'mashed' consistency, but still with a little texture- the remaining liquid should be well thickened with the potato.
10. Taste and add extra seasoning if required.