Farro with fennel. I got brave and tried two previously untasted ingredients together...and I liked them both!
Yes, I'm in my 30s and have never eaten farro or fennel. I have no excuse for avoiding farro, but I will say that I knew fennel had the taste and aroma of licorice, which is something that I've never liked, so at least I had a somewhat legitimate reason for not tasting it until now. Now that I've actually tried them, I really enjoyed both, especially together!
I sauteed the fennel quite a bit with a touch of sugar, and as its texture softened, so did its licorice-y flavor. It became subtle and downright pleasant! Plus, as it turns out, farro is nothing like white rice but is instead wonderfully nutty and chewy and healthful, and I regret that I haven't been eating it all of my life!
The combination of soft and somewhat piquant fennel and that wholesome, earthy flavor of the farro is brought to perfection with a tiny bit of dill and a generous handful of toasted almonds. You've got crunch, you've got chew, you've got umami, and you've got a tiny bit of sweet. It's a side dish for the ages, colorless and drab though it may appear!
Flavorful and Filling Farro with Fennel
(printable recipe)
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
Bring a quart of salted water to boil in a large pot.
Once boiling, add the farro and cook uncovered for 16-18 minutes, until toothsome but soft.
While the farro is cooking, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add a swirl of oil.
Chop any stems off of the fennel and cut out the core; chop the remaining fennel into pieces about 1/4-inch big.
Saute the fennel and sugar for 8-10 minutes, until soft, slightly translucent, and fragrant.
Season the fennel with dill, salt, and pepper, to taste.
Simply combine the fennel, farro, and almonds and stir, then serve!
*Pay attention to the type of farro you're using! Pearled farro will take less time to cook than semi-pearled farro, which will take less time to cook than whole.
(printable recipe)
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup pearled farro*, rinsed
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 cup chopped or sliced almonds, toasted
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Bring a quart of salted water to boil in a large pot.
Once boiling, add the farro and cook uncovered for 16-18 minutes, until toothsome but soft.
While the farro is cooking, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add a swirl of oil.
Chop any stems off of the fennel and cut out the core; chop the remaining fennel into pieces about 1/4-inch big.
Saute the fennel and sugar for 8-10 minutes, until soft, slightly translucent, and fragrant.
Season the fennel with dill, salt, and pepper, to taste.
Simply combine the fennel, farro, and almonds and stir, then serve!
*Pay attention to the type of farro you're using! Pearled farro will take less time to cook than semi-pearled farro, which will take less time to cook than whole.
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9 comments:
I love both! A great idea of pairing them together for a power bowl.
This sounds good, Grace! I've never had farro but will try it now. And I don't care for licorice but love the taste of fennel in a lot of dishes. Not sure I could win Bill over with this though so will have to make it for myself!
Good for you for trying something new! I love the combination of flavors and textures. Yum!
I had both before, but not together...now that I know the combination works, I will give this a try next time I get fennel.
I hope you are having a nice week :)
I've never even heard of farro. I've also never tried fennel, although fennel seeds are great in spaghetti sauce - they make it taste reminiscent of sausage, without the actual sausage in the sauce! Way to go, trying 2 new things at once!
Well you can't do much better than that! Trying two new ingredients and loving both of them!
Love this, Grace! Farro is fabulous...so versatile! I even made a farro oatmeal!
I have never tried fennel, for the same reasons. Farro I tried in the hot bar at our co-op a while ago and really enjoyed it.
I will have to venture out of my comfort zone, and try this recipe!
Well, Grace this sounds like an interesting dish. I've never tried farro or fennel either, but now I have a good recipe to dive in with both ingredients. I'm glad it worked out and it really does look healthy!
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