Fennel is in season from late spring to early autumn in the UK, with peak availability in the summer months of June to September.
That’s why it’s the perfect summer cooking ingredient to add texture and flavour to savoury dishes.
Mary Berry has the ultimate formula for a delicious fennel-based meal, teamed with pink salmon fillets and peas in a creamy, seasoned sauce.
Sharing the “one-pot wonder” dish from her cookbook Mary Berry’s Simple Comforts, the chef claimed that this dish is “so easy to make, yet impressive.”
She added: “This is a really healthy meal for the family. If you’re not keen on fennel you could use a thinly sliced medium leek instead, and you could also replace the salmon with pink trout.”
Method
Start by melting the butter in a large, wide-based pan over a gentle heat, then add the sliced shallots.
Follow with the fennel and fry over high heat for three minutes before lowering the heat and covering the pan with a lid.
Leave the ingredients to cook undisturbed for 10 minutes until everything is tender. Next, pour in the wine and reduce the liquid by half, then stir in the crème fraîche.
Bring to a boil before seasoning with salt and pepper, then place the salmon strips in a single layer in the sauce.
Cover the pan and leave to simmer gently for about four minutes until the salmon is nearly cooked.
Now add the frozen peas, push them under the sauce, and continue to cook for three minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice, check the seasoning and sprinkle with parsley. Finally, serve the salmon with the sauce and some rice, mashed potato, grains or crusty bread.
