Charred fennel with green beans and shaved parmesan
Vibrant green beans are in season and pair beautifully with charred fennel with a deliciously crunchy texture
SERVES
2
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
10
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
10
MINUTES
Ingredients
150g fine green beans, topped and tailed
1 head of fennel with fronds
sea salt
black pepper
juice of one lemon
1 small garlic clove, crushed
½ tsp Dijon mustard
80ml extra virgin olive oil
a little butter
80g Parmesan
Method
Whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, crushed garlic and olive oil in a small bowl until emulsified. Remove the fennel fronds from the bulb, just the delicate herby parts, and stir into the dressing. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Trim the stalks from the top of the fennel and cut off the very end of the bulb. Cut or pull away any discoloured or dried outside bits on the bulb. Slice the bulb downwards from top to bottom into slices around the thickness of a pound coin.
Cook the green beans for around 2 minutes in boiling salted water and then drain and then put in a bowl with a little butter and a pinch of salt.
Heat a frying pan or griddle/grill pan on a medium high heat until good and hot. Brush a little oil on each side of the slices of fennel and season with sea salt and black pepper. Place on the hot griddle (cook in batches if your pan isn’t big enough) and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. You want the ends of the fennel slices to start to char before flipping over and cooking for another 3-4 minutes on the other side.
Assemble the beans between two serving plates and place the charred fennel on top. Drizzle the dressing all over and shave a little parmesan all over. If you have any reserved fennel herb left, use as garnish.
