This quick and easy to prepare stew is the perfect dish for this season, when spring somehow refuses to fully arrive, yet the heavier winter’s stews are not as happily accepted.
Fennel is a wonderful vegetable, with a distinctive anise flavor, which is one of my favorites. Its fresh flavor pairs wonderfully with the relatively heavy lamb cut. To enhance this anise flavor, I’ve added fennel seeds and a bit of Ouzo, the Greek anise flavored liquor.
The addition of preserved lemon and black olives rounds up the flavors and brings to minds the wonderful North African Tajin dishes. The addition of orange blossom honey is very subtle, but adds aroma and a hint of sweetness. The slow braising in the oven brings all these wonderful flavors together, to form a tasty and aromatic dish. I’m sure you’ll love the dish once you’ll try it.
Notes:
* If you’ve tasted fresh fennel and found the anise flavor too overwhelming for your taste, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the mellow flavor after braising. In this case, you can also omit the fennel seeds and Ouzo.
* If you can’t find fresh fennel, young celery hearts, celeriac or artichoke can be wonderful substitutes.
* I served the dish with plain couscous (see THIS recipe for instructions). Another option is to serve the stew as is, with fresh crusty bread on the side.
* I also added fresh fennel slaw on the side. Check THIS post for the recipe.
Makes: 2-4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 ½ hours
Ingredients:
1 large fennel head
3 Tbs olive oil
1.6 lbs (750 grams) lamb shoulder, bone in
3 garlic cloves, cut in half
2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed (optional)
2 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white wine
2 Tbs Ouzo or any anise flavored liquor (optional)
1 cup beef or chicken stock
A few drops of hot sauce
½ large preserved lemon, cut into wedges
1 pickled hot red chili pepper
10-12 salt cured black olives
2 Tbs honey, preferably orange blossom
1. Trim the fennel and cut into thick wedges. Keep some greens for garnish.
2. Heat the oil in a large shallow pot, over medium-high heat. Add the meat and fry until golden brown on both sides. Add the garlic and fry lightly.
Add the fennel and sprinkle with salt, pepper and fennel seeds. Cook for 2 minutes. Mix the wine, ouzo, stock and hot sauce and pour on top. Add the preserved lemon, chili pepper and olives and pour the honey on top. Bring to the boil, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
3. Preheat the oven to 250F (120C). Place the pot in the oven and braise for 1 hour. Uncover and return to the oven for 1 hour, basting the meat occasionally, until the meat almost falls off the bones and the fennel is soft but still keeps its shape. Garnish with fennel greens and serve.
Just pinned! Addition of preserved (salted?) lemon, black olive and orange blossom honey?? Soooo gorgeous! I can’t hardly wait to try!
What a coincidence – I am going to mention Arak/Araq with fennel dish on my next post!
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Thank you Rotwein, I’m glad you liked it.
The preserved lemon is indeed salted, that’s why I didn’t add too much salt. But it changes from one brand to another, so it’s best to taste after the initial cooking.
Indeed a coincidence with the fennel/Arak! Looking forward to see your next post. 🙂
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Thank you for the advice Ronit! 🙂
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Lovely recipe Ronit! Thanks a ton for sharing! 🙂
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Thank you! I’m glad you liked it and happy to share. 🙂
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Looks so good – nice combination – thanks for sharing. Bye. Kamila
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Thank you Kamila, I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
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I tried fennel once as a raw veggie in a salad, but wasn’t thrilled with it. This looks like a better use of it. Will give it a second go! Thanks for the impetus!
Virtual hugs,
Judie
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Yes, fresh anise flavor is not for everyone. The cooked version is quite subtle and I think it’s worth it to give it a try. 🙂
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I shall give it another go.
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Glad to hear! 🙂
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gorgeous as ever. I totally agree about fennel: a wonderful vegetable
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Thank you Philip! I’m glad to find another fennel aficionado! The combination of fennel and lamb is really wonderful. 🙂
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Looks amazing! I love the idea of lamb and fennel together… will definitely try this. 😋
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Thank you Jean, I’m glad you liked the idea. I find it to be a wonderful combination, both when cooked or fresh. I hope you’ll enjoy it too. I will be happy to hear your comments. 🙂
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I fully agree — love the combination, indeed, the combination of all the flavours here. Looks like a great dish that definitely has your thumb-marks all over it. One I look forward to trying in the fall. 🙂
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Thank you Dale, for such a wonderful comment. I’m glad you liked the dish and hope you’ll enjoy it. 🙂
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I love lamb with fennel!!
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Then you’ll love this dish. 🙂
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Thats a beautiful combination Ronit, I love lamb and the fennel looks just beautifully soft and flavorful.
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Thank you Suzanne, I’m glad you liked the dish. Serving it with fresh fennel salad made it even better. 🙂
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I’m not a huge fan of fennel, but this really looks wonderful! I love all of the flavor elements!!!
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Thank you Mimi, I’m glad you liked the recipe despite not being a fennel fan.:)
The braised fennel is quite different in taste and aroma from the fresh, but the dish also works well with artichokes, celeriac or celery hearts. 🙂
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This is a treat Ronit, I always love a good Sunday roast and your flavors sound so appetizing. I love the addition of fennel, I’ve had them in salads before, I love the licorice it imparts.
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Than you Loretta! I’m glad to find another licorice fan. I just love its freshness. 🙂
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I am not a huge fresh fennel/anise seed lover either, but it sounds like braising it will mellow it out enough that I just might give it a go! Thanks Ronit!
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Thank you Kathryn!
Indeed the braising mellows the anise flavor. That’s why I added fennel seeds and Ouzo, as I’m actually a big fan of it, but it’s optional for those who are not that much into it. 🙂
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Oh Ronit, this is a sublime dish. Lamb and fennel go very well together, I can only imagine the taste! 🙂
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Thank you Linda, I’m totally with you on that! I just love this combination. 🙂
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Sounds amazing Ronit, I adore fennel in any shape or form!!
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Thank you Marisa, same here! I served this with fresh fennel salad, to double the enjoyment. 🙂
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Lol…. I would have done the same!😊
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Did you say Ouzo?? I’m all in! I’ll happily accept lamb anyway, but this looks exceptional! Delicious, Ronit!
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Yes I did, Nancy! I would also recommend some nice Ouzo on the rocks on the side. Love the stuff! 🙂
It turned out very delicious. I plan to make again soon, before fennel season is over. 🙂
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Two favorite ingredients; lamb and fennel. I bet this dish “melts” in your mouth. Yes to Ouzo and orange blossom honey has been a staple in my pantry for the past year 🙂
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Thank you Judi! It was indeed a “melts in your mouth” kind of dish, and very easy to prepare. The Ouzo and honey and all the rest are really perfect for such an early spring meal.
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Oh this looks tasty! Haven’t done much with lamb, but I’d happily eat this 🙂
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Thank you Liz. I’m glad you liked the recipe and hope you’ll give it a try! 🙂
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Drooling and Salivating. This looks incredible!
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Thank you Ideen, for such a lovely compliment! 🙂
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Have to buy this preserved lemon everyone uses in their cooking. This looks delicious, Ronit.
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Thank you Mary! It was indeed delicious and I’m hoping to make it again before fennel season is over. 🙂
I think you’ll enjoy experimenting with preserved lemons. They can be used in many ways and are also a tasty condiment on their own.
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This looks like the perfect dish for this season. I love how you describe early May as “when spring somehow refuses to fully arrive.” I’m really ready for the farmer’s market to have bountiful spring produce, but so far it’s mostly just greens, radishes, and rhubarb.
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Thank you Sheryl, I’m glad you liked the dish.
I too am waiting eagerly for fresh local produce. So far it’s really not much and over here I still didn’t even find reasonable rhubarb. Hopefully soon…
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Great blog and awesome pics, thanks for sharing
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Thank you Mindy! It’s my pleasure to share and I’m glad you enjoyed the blog. 🙂
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Yesterday, I saw beautiful, fresh fennels in the market. I have had them in salads, and love it, but never had it stewed. I love the fusion of all the ingredients you used for this dish. I was wondering how to use preserved lemons, and here it is. How clever! 🙂
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Thank you Fae, I’m glad you liked the dish.
Stewed fennel’s flavor is quite different than the fresh. I love both and served this with a fresh fennel salad on the side, to enjoy both flavors and textures.
Preserved lemons are so great in stews. I’m sure you’ll love the flavor they add.
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Boy, this is soooooo delicious! Just tried for Sunday lunch – absolutely beautiful…. Loved this so much Ronit!!
Some ingredients were not available, so used lamb chops and preserved lemon paste as substitute, and added some more salsa sauce instead of pickled hot chili pepper. Yet still good!
Thank you so much for sharing this, Ronit!!
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Thanks for the update – it’s my pleasure to share and I’m very glad to hear that!
Glad you didn’t give up despite of not having the exact ingredients and made your own version. I love the idea of salsa and preserved lemon paste and will keep it in mind for next time. 🙂
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Do you mind if I reblog your post?
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Not at all – feel free to. I’d love to see your version. 🙂
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Thank you Ronit!
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Ronit – this looks and sounds divine. Just reading the ingredient list made me hungry!
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Thank you Lindi, for such a wonderful compliment! The combination of lamb and fennel is really worth trying. 🙂
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I totally agree with you that Fennel goes so well with Lamb. I love the combination. I’ve just posted my Lamb, Liquorice and Orange dish, served with Roasted Fennel. Its a take on a stew that I used to make. The recipe is here: http://wp.me/p28NBv-iW
Your stew sounds delicious, beautiful pictures, and beautiful combination of flavours.
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Thank you Emma, for commenting and following. I’m glad you liked the dish. Lamb and fennel are indeed a great pair. I will check out your post soon. 🙂
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I made this stew for the first time today, and it’s delicious! Thanks for sharing it! I just stumbled across your blog this week, and I will be trying more of your recipes in the future.
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Thank you for the lovely update! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the dish. It’s my pleasure to share. 🙂
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Reblogged this on redcrosse10999 and commented:
Another stew that is different from the usual and necessary to a home commissary list.
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