Vegetables Recipes - Bucatini with Fennel and Fresh Sardines Recipe

Ingredients 

• 3 large fennel bulbs with leaves and stalks

• olive oil for brushing

• sea salt flakes

• freshly ground black pepper

• 4 medium-sized red mullet, cleaned and gutted

To garnish:

• a few robust salad leaves such as mizuna or corn salad

• lemon wedges

Serves 4

---

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Chop the fennel leaves finely and set aside 2 tablespoons. Chop the stalks and remaining leaves, mix together, and reserve.

2. Quarter the fennel bulbs and remove the core. Brush the bulbs generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and plenty of pepper. Place them in a single layer in a roasting pan and bake for 20-30 minutes, until they are tender and beginning to blacken at the edges.

3. While the fennel is cooking, score the fish on each side with a sharp knife, and place it in a broiler pan. Stuff the cavities with the chopped fennel mixture.

4. Sprinkle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place under a very hot broiler for 4-5 minutes each side, then broil for another 4-5 minutes at a gentler heat (or farther away from the heat source) until the flesh is just opaque.

5. Transfer to a warm serving dish and sprinkle with the reserved fennel leaves. Garnish with salad greens and lemon wedges, and serve with the roasted fennel.