fennel

How many of you ever had this vegetable? So far, I've only had it in salads, but I thought there could be more that I can do with it. Fennel goes really well with seafood, it has a sharp, crisp taste. However,I wanted to experiment with the flavours so I decided to try this combination: Fennel and Beef! It is a little like beef and potato mash with a twist, give it a go and leave a comment!

Seared Beef with Fennel and Potato puree

200g porterhouse steak ( you can experiment with different cuts of beef)
1 medium sized potatp
1 bulb fennel (roughly same amount as potato)
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp cheese (mascarpone recommended but i used parmesan)
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken stock
approx 1/4 cabbage

1. Fennel and potato puree: Half the fennel lengthwise and cut into thin pieces of 1/4 inch thickness (be sure to trim the fennel of their stalks and bottom root/middle bulb). Peel the potato, halve and thinly slice. Place the fennel, potatoes, garlic, milk and chicken stock into a heavy pot over medium heat. If needed, add enough water to just cover the fennel. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue until the fennel and potato are soft, roughly 30 minutes.

2. Drain the fennel mixture. Place the fennel into a food processor and puree. Add some of the mixture into the food processor (for more watery effect) and pulse to puree, gradually adding more mixture till the desired consistency is achieved. Add the cheese, mix, and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Consider adding mint)

3. Beef: Ensure meat is at room temperature ( definitely let it 'warm' up if taken directly from the fridge). Season with salt and pepper, then rub with some olive oil using your hands (optional). For medium rare, cook on each side for 2 minutes, then repeat for both sides (total 8 mins). Let meat to rest for half the cooking time before serving.

4. Cabbage: Blanch in hot, salted water for 1 min. Drain, then toss in pan to heat with some butter; add salt and pepper to taste.