Zero waste in the kitchen: tufts of fennel.

Fourth issue of the column Zero Waste in the Kitchen: how to use tufts, leaves and stalks of fennel

The properties of fennel

Fennel is a valuable vegetable; it has few calories, excellent flavor and remarkable digestive capabilities, a real natural panacea, so be careful not to waste an ounce of it! Today we offer some ideas for using fennel scraps: the green tufts, the outermost leaves and the stems

Fennel beard risotto

Prepare a light sauté with garlic and sage, add rice, and cook with vegetable broth. When cooked, incorporate finely chopped fennel beards, along with butter and Parmesan cheese. For an ethnic touch, add a hint of curry: the result will be a fragrant and original risotto.

Cream of fennel with shrimp

• Flake 3-4 fennels, wash them well and keep the beards aside.

• In a saucepan, sauté shallots with a few tablespoons of water, add the stalks and outer parts of the fennel and cover with ½ liter vegetable stock or salted water, adding half a lemon. Let it cook slowly.

• Meanwhile, clean about 12 shrimp, removing head, tail and carapace.

• When the fennel is soft, remove the lemon and blend it with an immersion blender; then sieve it to make a smooth velouté.

• Add the shrimp to the velouté, cooking them over residual heat for 1-2 minutes if needed.

• Serve on plates decorating with fennel beards, sliced lemon zest, pistachio granules and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Fennel cupcakes

Ingredients (for 4 cupcakes):

• Outer part and tufts of 2 large fennels
• 100 g of grated cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 stale bun
• 1 glass of milk
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Wash the fennel and cut the outer parts into pieces. Blend the clumps and barbs together, adjusting for salt and pepper.

• Soak stale bread in milk, then squeeze it well.

• In a bowl, combine the bread, cheese, and egg yolks with the blended vegetables.

• Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and incorporate them gently, mixing from the bottom up.

• Butter and flour 4 muffin molds and fill with the mixture to 2/3 full.

• Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes. Serve the cupcakes warm or lukewarm.

More Zero Waste ideas and recipes

• With the fennel leaves you can also prepare a mild sauce, great for dressing pasta.
• Did you know that the leek leaves Can they be used to make delicious bacon rolls? Find the recipe here.
• Looking for inspiration? Visit the section Zero wastes and you will find lots of anti-waste ideas!
• Fennel is one of the protagonists of our Healthy Trio, a fresh recipe with a unique personality, perfect for coloring your summer, just like the others Bontà Summer.