Fennel velouté

The 'mother' sauce is chicken velouté. I don't think I've ever specifically made chicken velouté. But I have made other velouté sauces. Apart from the preparation to get he stock, the method remains the same.

This anise sauce is made with concentrated fennel extract. I boil fennel stalks and fronds—which are otherwise inedible—blend and strain them to get the essence of fennel. That is the stock I use to make this green velouté sauce. (see also Fennel Soup recipe) The fennel preparation (Pic2-5) takes about 1 hour; the sauce about 30 minutes.

This was made with home-grown fennel. The bulbs are much smaller than store-bought, but the bulb leaves are quite good to eat. The greens are used to make the broth for the sauce or soup.

If you have a batch of béchamel sauce in your refrigerator, simmer fennel stalks in the sauce or add some fennel juice for a less intense flavor.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 4 servings:

4 lbs. of fennel plants 1 tbsp. olive oil/butter 1 tbsp. flour 1 cup mild gooey-melting cheese (e,g, quesadilla, asadero, Swiss) S&P

Pic1: Fennel velouté

Directions

making fennel stock

See also: fennel soup. This is the same method.

2017-04-19

Pic2: clean and cut fennel stalks
Pic3: steam until the white parts are soft
Pic4: blend the woody stems

To harvest, cut the bulb as close to the root as possible.
Wash and rinse thoroughly.
Cut the green from bulb. Remove any wilted or damaged leaves.
If the plant has started bolting, slice the bulb lengthwise, separate the leaves and remove the woody central stalk.
Chop the greens and the central stalk.
Transfer to cooking pot or steaming basket. Add water.
Bring the steamer to a boil. Steam 30 minutes over medium-low heat. (Pic5)
Blend the greens.

Pic5: pass through a fine-opening foodmill
Pic6: strain
Pic7: simmer edible stalks / bulbs in the green fennel stock.

Pass the blended fennel through a food mill with the smallest screen. (Pic7)
Strain the broth again. (Pic8)
If there still are woody fibers, strain through a double cloth filter.
Discard the pulp.

making the sauce

This is the standard method for making velouté sauce.

Pic8+9: make a roux
Pic10: add fennel juice

Make a blond roux by frying flour in olive oil or butter over slightly higher heat than you'd use for béchamel. Allow the dough to darken somewhat. (Pic10)
Whisk in fennel stock in small amounts (Pic11) and keep adding until desired thickness.

Pic11: add cheese
Pic12: keep the edible fennel warm in the sauce until needed.
Pic13: served

Stir in the cheese and allow to melt.
Add fennel leaves or bulbs.
Keep warm until serving time.
Serve and enjoy. (Pic1, Pic13))

making fennel stock

making the sauce

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org