As the nights draw in, we start to look for warming stews and casseroles. This fennel and orange recipe holds on to the last rays of sunshine with a citrus kick
Ingredients:
1 kg pack of Shin Beef
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
1 large orange
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped (save a quarter)
Pinch of dried chilli flakes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
3 large fennel bulbs, trimmed of any tough stalks, 1 finely diced, 2 cut into thick wedges (save any feathery fronds)
1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped (about 1 tbsp)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped ( save a quarter)
4 tomatoes, skinned (or use tinned whole ones), roughly chopped
350ml water or beef or chicken stock
For the gremolata:
The feathery fronds saved from the fennel bulbs
Saved parsley
Orange zest
Saved garlic
Here is how to make this recipe:
Toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan over moderate heat until fragrant, then grind in a pestle and mortar. Peel three strips off your orange with a peeler. In a large bowl, mix together the beef, ground fennel seeds, orange-peel strips, bay leaves, parsley stalks, chili flakes, half a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, and one teaspoon of salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This will be better overnight.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the onion, diced fennel, rosemary, and three-quarters of the garlic for 10 minutes, until soft, then add the tomatoes and cook for five minutes until rich and thick. Meanwhile, lift the beef out of the marinade and fry in the remaining oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan until nicely brown all over, then add to the softened vegetables with some salt and pepper. Add the water or stock, stir well, and bring to the boil.
Give the pan a quick skim to remove any froth on the surface then reduce the heat to low and cover to simmer very gently for about two hours, or until meat is tender. You will need to check from time to time to ensure the meat cooks slowly and doesn’t burn, and to skim off any excess fat with a spoon. Remove from the heat and add seasoning to taste.
While the beef is simmering, cook the fennel wedges in well-salted, boiling water until absolutely tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and add them to the beef when ready to serve, as a final flourish squeeze the orange juice into the dish before serving.
For the gremolata,
Mix together the chopped parsley, grated orange zest, chopped garlic, and any fennel fronds in a small bowl.
Serve this with a steaming pile of buttered mashed root veg, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, swede your choice.
