Crispy fennel wedges

This recipe comes from In Praise of Veg by Alice Zaslavsky. The concept is inspired by the popular 80s and 90s snack of potato wedges served with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce.

Crispy fennel wedges Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 2 small fennel bulbs, fronds reserved (2 tbsp finely chopped fronds; remaining reserved for garnish)
• 1 garlic clove, bruised
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1½ tbsp sea salt flakes
• 2 cups (100 g) panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup (150 g) plain flour
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 2 eggs
• rice bran or sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• 4 tbsp Indonesian sambal, store-bought
• 2 tbsp golden syrup or runny honey
• sour cream, to serve

Soaking time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. Cut the fennel bulbs in half lengthways, (fronds reserved for later) then cut into 2 cm thick wedges, following the length of the fennel. Place in a large heatproof bowl with the garlic clove, vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the salt flakes. Cover with boiling water from a kettle. Stand for 10 minutes for the fennel to soften slightly.
2. Meanwhile, reserve some fennel fronds for garnishing, then finely chop the rest; you'll want at least 1 tbsp worth. Toss into a shallow bowl with the panko crumbs and remaining salt flakes. In a separate shallow bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Crack the eggs into a third bowl and lightly beat with a fork.
3. Heat 7 cm of your chosen deep-frying oil in a large saucepan to 180°C; a panko crumb will turn golden in 10 seconds when the oil is hot enough. Line a baking tray with paper towel and set a cooling rack over the top.
4. Drain the softened fennel. Working with one piece at a time, coat it in the flour, then the egg, then dip in the breadcrumb mixture to coat completely. Transfer to the hot oil and cook, in batches, for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to the cooling rack to drain as you cook the rest; season with extra salt while it is still hot.
5. For a quick and easy sweet chilli sauce, mix together the sambal and golden syrup until well combined.
6. Scatter the fennel wedges with the reserved fennel fronds. Serve hot, with sour cream and your DIY sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

Notes

• Small or baby fennel bulbs will work particularly well for this recipe. Cut them into quarters for finger-food pieces – or even halves if they're extra-small.

• The fennel wedges can be blanched in advance and deep-fried just before it's time to serve – but only batter and crumb them just before deep-frying, so they don't go soggy.

• Go gluten-free - rice crumbs or quinoa flakes will fry up nicely under a gluten-free flour.

• For vegans - avocado mashed with lemon juice would go down well as a dip alternative. Use the liquid left behind in a tin of beans or chickpeas (the 'aquafaba') as a substitute for the eggs in the crumbing stage.

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

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Watch The Full Episode Here

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