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    Home » Main Course Recipes » Fennel Crumble

    Fennel Crumble

    Published: Apr 21, 2017 · Modified: Apr 19, 2021 | This post may contain affiliate links·

    70 shares
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    Fennel, sweet corn, and bell pepper crumble with preserved tomatoes is the perfect brunch dish!

    If you happened to look at our weekly meals, it is obvious that we love our vegetables -  our weekday meals are usually vegetarian, with a meat or chicken dish making an appearance twice or thrice in a week. Lately, though, I've been sticking to familiar Indian vegetarian recipes for a weeknight dinner or a quick lunch. Indian vegetarian meals are quick to put together with a few staples that are always stocked in my pantry. And then there's also the variety! There are so many Indian vegetarian recipes to pick and choose from, one can never run out of inspiration!

    A few weeks ago, wanting to try something new, and looking for some vegetarian inspiration from foreign shores, I thumbed through Ottolenghi's self-titled cookbook a recent cookbook buy. It's hard not to fall for Ottolenghi's style of cooking. The underlying theme is relaxed cooking, with simple ingredients. The pairing of flavours such as garlic, parsley - common ingredients to Mediterranean cooking, are expertly dealt with in the recipes. I have posted before about my love for Mediterranean cooking. The food itself, with bursts of colour, pops of flavour and generous sprinklings of herbs, look so inviting, you are almost tempted to call your friends and invite them over to join you!

    Ottolenghi inspired fennel, sweet corn and bell pepper crumble with preserved tomatoes

    As I dove into Ottolenghi's wonderful book, I was drawn to this fennel crumble recipe. I love the aniseed flavour and subtle sweet tones of fennel. I wonder why I don't cook more often with fennel! I also like the fact that this crumble is on the lighter side and feels less like a heavy gratin and more like a hearty salad. A few weeks ago, I made the recipe, following the instructions in the book. The book calls for thinly sliced fennel to be baked in cream, with a crumble topping. The resultant dish is delicious, however, the fennel remained a little too crispy and firm for my liking. So I made it again, with a few tweaks, and a few additional ingredients thrown in, and I was mighty pleased with how it turned out!

    How to make this fennel crumble:

    I sauteed the fennel in a skillet with olive oil and chopped garlic, let it caramelise a little, and then added in some bell peppers, sweet corn and cream. I topped it with a crumble made of spelt flour instead of all-purpose flour. I threw on some dried and preserved tomatoes and chopped parsley and baked it. Verdict: I loved this version! The crumble topping is mildly sweet and cheesy, and the tomatoes give it just the right amount of savoury kick. I think this is a perfect dish for a brunch, with some dry white wine on hand. You could pair it with roast meat, as the two would make excellent bedfellows, but it certainly is a stand-out dish on its own!

    Ottolenghi inspired fennel, sweet corn and bell pepper crumble with preserved tomatoes

    Fennel Crumble with sweet corn, bell peppers, preserved tomatoes

    Fennel Crumble

    Shinta
    Fennel, sweet corn and bell pepper crumble with preserved tomatoes is the perfect brunch dish!
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 22 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 fennel bulbs
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • Olive oil 1 teaspoon
    • 1 medium bell pepper cubed
    • Corn kernels from 1 sweet corn 1/3 - 1/2 cup kernels
    • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
    • Around 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley or used dried parsley
    • 1 cup heavy cream 35% fat content

    For the crumble:

    • 100 gm or 3.5 ounces flour spelt flour or all purpose flour
    • 70 gms or 2.5 ounces cold cubed butter
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 50 gms or 1.7 ounces grated parmesan
    • 2-3 dried and preserved tomatoes chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Finely slice the fennel, and finely dice the garlic cloves
    • Preheat the oven to 180 C.
    • Heat oil in a skillet.
    • On medium heat, saute the fennel with the garlic for around 7 minutes until the fennel shows a little caramelisation. It should have softened a little. Add the bell peppers and saute for another couple of minutes. Turn off the heat. Toss the fennel, garlic and bell pepper with some salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon parsley. Transfer it to a baking dish. Pour the cream over and keep aside.

    Prepare the crumble:

    • In a food processor, or working quickly with your hands, process the flour with the butter and sugar. Make sure there are no lumps of butter. Mix in the cheese and combine.
    • Scatter the crumble over the fennel mixture, evenly. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon parsley over the crumble topping and scatter the chopped preserved tomatoes over.
    • Bake at 180 C for 15 minutes, until the topping has a light golden colour.
    Keyword Baked fennel, Fennel Crumble, ottolenghli fennel crumble
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag me on Instagram! @carameltintedlife or use the hashtag #carameltintedlife
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    70 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angie | Fiesta Friday says

      April 28, 2017 at 4:06 am

      Looks delicious!

    2. Manuela says

      April 25, 2017 at 11:00 pm

      I love fennel and Mediterranean dishes, will try this!

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        April 26, 2017 at 7:42 am

        thank you so much!

    3. Life Diet Health says

      April 25, 2017 at 7:27 pm

      Hello Shinta, this looks delicious and quite easy for me to veganise 🙂 I don't often buy fennel but this looks so tempting it's on my shopping list! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday 🙂

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        April 26, 2017 at 7:41 am

        Thank you so much!

    4. Tamara says

      April 23, 2017 at 5:22 pm

      Your version with sweet corn and bell pepper sounds delicious!
      My family doesn't like fennel, so I rarely make some. I sometimes eat it raw.

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        April 26, 2017 at 7:41 am

        Thank you Tamara!

    5. Joanne |No Plate Like Home says

      April 23, 2017 at 1:43 am

      This looks delicious. I like fennel and how you prepared it. Nice pix too!

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        April 26, 2017 at 7:40 am

        Thank you so much!

    6. Lina says

      April 21, 2017 at 1:43 pm

      This is surely a wonderful adaptation of the Mediterranean recipe. The photography is spectacular. I like how the yellow stands out cause of the black background. Fennel is always a keeper. I totally love the flavour too. Thanks for bringing this recipe to Fiesta Friday #168..☺☺☺☺

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        April 26, 2017 at 7:39 am

        Thank you so much for the compliment!

    7. Dawan says

      April 21, 2017 at 11:19 am

      Ohh we eat a lot of fennel at home. Usually in gratin as yours or cutting them and dip them raw in homemade sauces when we are on picnic. I will try your recipe!

      • Shinta @ Caramel Tinted Life says

        April 26, 2017 at 7:32 am

        Thanks, I hope you give it a try!

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    Shinta Simon

    is always on the lookout for inspiration for her next meal. She shares recipes for family meals, Instant Pot recipes and more

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