serves
4-6
prep
10 minutes
cook
5 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4-6
people
preparation
10
minutes
cooking
5
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
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Fast, Fried And Crispy
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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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- For a quick and easy sweet chilli sauce, mix together the sambal and golden syrup until well combined.
- 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
Fast, Fried And Crispy
