Recipes

Grilling fennel: tips for cutting, seasoning & combining

Especially those who prepare dishes from the Mediterranean cuisine often come across this delicious and special tuber: the fennel. Aside from the fact that it tastes really good, it is also extremely healthy because the vegetables contain B vitamins and iron, which, when combined, support the formation of blood. Fennel is known to help with gas, pain and nausea, thanks to the substances it contains. And since it is the barbecue season, we would like to offer you a special opportunity to prepare the tuber. Have you ever had the idea of choosing fennel as a grilled vegetable? We explain how to prepare the fennel, marinate it and then grill the fennel.

Grilling fennel – How do I prepare fennel vegetables?

Grilling fennel - How to prepare fennel and recipes

Of course, before you throw fennel on the grill as a vegetable garnish, you need to properly prepare it. This includes cutting and seasoning or marinating it. Especially the cutting should not be underestimated, because the right way ensures that the individual leaves of the tuber do not fall apart. So how do you cut fennel for the grill and how do I prepare fennel? At the beginning we would like to explain all of this to you so that you can comfortably grill the fennel at the end.

Fennel like cut?

Cut the fennel and grill in the oven or on the grill

Wash the fennel.
Cut off the stems.
Lay the tuber in front of you and cut it in half lengthways.
You can then cut the two halves into wedges as shown in the instructions above. Important But here is: The stalk in the middle holds the individual layers together. If you remove this, the tuber also falls apart and the individual parts are difficult to grill or not at all. Therefore, you have to make sure to cut off each piece so that there is always a piece of the stalk with you. Like all other parts of the vegetable, this is edible.

Season the fennel vegetables and grill the fennel

Seasoning and marinating before or after the grill - delicious recipe ideas

How to properly prepare fennel vegetables before you grill the fennel is basically a matter of taste. You can cook fennel straight on the grill, season with dry spices or marinate and grill the fennel. Here are a few ideas:

Grilled fennel by Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver's recipe for fennel bulbs and tomatoes grilled in the oven

Not straight from the grill, but still grilled out of the oven is Jamie Oliver’s delicious recipe. The tuber is combined with tomatoes and gently cooked in the oven. This variant with the oven proves to be very practical, especially if you have also prepared other grilled food that takes time. You can then prepare the fennel bulb parallel to the rest, so that everything is warm on the table at the same time. How to grill fennel according to Jamie Oliver:

Fennel bulb
Cherry tomatoes
Caraway seeds
olive oil
pepper and salt

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Prepare the tuber as described above and distribute it in a baking dish. Spread the tomatoes on top (whole or halved, if you like). Sprinkle them with the grains, season with salt and pepper and drizzle everything with olive oil. Grill in the oven for about an hour until the vegetables are tender.

Grill Mediterranean fennel in sugar or honey

Grilled fennel bulb with brown sugar or honey

Would you like to grill some spicy fennel? Then you can add some sweetness by marinating the vegetables in a sauce with sugar or honey. The grill should not be too hot, as the marinade burns quickly. In addition, olive oil should not be overheated. How do I make fennel vegetables sweet??

3 fennel bulbs, cut into pieces as described
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp brown cane sugar
salt and pepper

Mix the oil with the sugar and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Then add the fennel pieces and mix everything together so that the vegetables are completely covered. You can let everything sit for a while if you want, but not for too long as the vegetables will get mushy quickly. Then the fennel is grilled. About 10 minutes should be enough for the vegetables to soften.

Marinate the fennel vegetables spicy and sweet with honey

Would you prefer to grill fennel with honey? Then just replace the sugar with this! Since honey is sweeter, add only a small amount to the rest of the ingredients and then gradually add more, tasting again and again until you have achieved the sweetness you want. You can garnish the finished tubers with the fennel green.

Grilling fennel – Italian style recipe

Season the pure grilled fennel vegetables at the end

Even if you grill the fennel without seasoning, it is advisable to coat it with at least vegetable oil (e.g. olive oil) beforehand. And how do you prepare fennel after you’ve grilled it straight? Then you have the choice: pepper and salt might be sufficient. Grilled fennel is also often drizzled with lemon juice and served with fresh, chopped parsley. But in principle everything your heart desires is allowed – including ready-made spice mixtures. Or how about this idea for grilled fennel pickled Italian:

For 2 grilled fennel bulbs:

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
dried oregano
salt and pepper

Italian pickled fennel grill with oregano

The first thing you should do is grill the fennel and let it cool down. In the meantime, mix the ingredients together and put them together with the fennel in a sealable plastic bag or in a flat bowl. You can let it sit a little so the vegetables can absorb the flavors, but not for too long or they’ll get mushy.

Fennel vegetables as a side dish

Grill fennel as an accompaniment to fish and white meat

So now you know how to prepare fennel. But what does grilled fennel go with? On the one hand, fennel is served as an accompaniment to fish, but also to white meat. Of course, that doesn’t mean that pork and beef fans can’t try it as well. The delicacies are also very popular as a topping for hamburgers.