Caramelized fennel with roasted garlic and lemon vinaigrette, topped with creamy goat cheese, walnuts and parsley. It literally melts in your mouth.
Preparation:
To cook:
Level: Easy
Ingredients
- ½ cups Nut
- 1 head Garlic
- 6 tablespoons Olive oil, divided
- 4 Fennel bulbs
- ½ Lemon, juice
- ½ tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- ½ cups Chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cups Soft goat cheese, crumbled
- Salt to taste
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Spread the walnut pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of water and salt. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once. Check after 10 minutes as they tend to burn quickly. Reserve for later.
Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
Cut off the end of the head of garlic, without separating the individual garlic cloves. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and wrap in foil.
Clean the fennel bulbs by removing the leafy parts and cutting off the stems. Cut in half and remove the core. Thinly slice each half. Toss the sliced fennel with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and salt, and spread on a baking sheet. Add the wrapped head of garlic in the corner. Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring once or twice. Check the garlic after 30 minutes – it should develop a dark caramel color, and it should be sticky and soft.
For the dressing, squeeze the garlic pulp and, using a mortar and pestle, crush it with a little sea salt. Add lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and mix well. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
Lightly mix the caramelized fennel with half the chopped parsley and half the dressing. Arrange on a hollow plate. Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts on top, add the remaining parsley and dressing.
