The caraway seeds compliment the flavour of the baked fennel and the breadcrumb topping gives extra depth and texture. This is a good recipe if you are looking for something different to do with your fennel.

Ingredients

2 sliced fennel bulbs
5 fl oz (140 ml) of single cream
5 fl oz (140 ml) of milk
4½ oz (125 g) of soft cheese
2 oz (55 g) of butter
2 oz (55 g) of fresh breadcrumbs
1 beaten egg
2 tbsp of lemon juice
2 tsp of caraway seeds
salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Bring a medium sized saucepan full of water to the boil and add the sliced fennel and the lemon juice.
Boil for about 3 minutes and then drain.
Place the fennel slices into a greased ovenproof dish.
In a large mixing bowl beat the soft cheese until it becomes smooth and soft.
Stir in the cream, milk and beaten egg. Whisk all of the ingredients together by hand or with an electric hand whisk until a smooth sauce forms.
Pour the sauce over the fennel slices.
Melt ¼ of the butter in a small frying pan and add the caraway seeds. Fry for several minutes so that the seeds release their flavour and aroma.
Sprinkle the seeds over the fennel.
Melt the remainder of the butter in the frying pan and then add the breadcrumbs.
Fry the breadcrumbs over a gentle heat until they brown slightly.
Remove from the heat and top the fennel with the breadcrumbs.
Place into the preheated oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Homemade Indian Naan Bread

Make your own naan bread to accompany a homemade curry or biryani using this simple recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb 1 oz (500 g) of strong white flour
1 fl oz (30 ml) of olive oil
½ oz (15 g) of fresh yeast
¼ oz (5 g) of salt
1 tsp of caraway seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
water

Method

Mix together the flour, salt, olive oil and yeast in a large mixing bowl.
Add enough water to combine the ingredients together and knead into a soft and elastic dough ball.
Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place for an hour or until the dough rises significantly.
Place the dough onto a clean surface and insert the caraway and cumin seeds into the dough with your fingers.
Knead the dough so that the seeds get integrated into the mixture.
Divide the dough into three and roll out into rounds of about 10-inch in diameter. You should be able to make 8 rounds from the dough.
Leave the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and once the pan is hot enough add a dough disc.
Fry the bread on both sides, so that each side is lightly browned.
Set aside and keep warm whilst you fry the remaining naan bread dough rounds.

Caraway Biscuits

This recipe is derived from a recipe for Shrewsbury biscuits that originated in 1819.

Ingredients

8 oz (225 g) of plain flour
4 oz (115 g) of caster sugar
4 oz (115 g) of butter
1 egg
2 tsp of rose water
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of caraway seeds
½ tsp of nutmeg

Method

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, caraway seeds and nutmeg into a large bowl and mix together.
Rub the fat into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
In a cup or small bowl, beat together the egg and the rose water and then add to the flour mixture.
Combine all of the ingredients together until a dough is formed.
Lightly flour a clean flat surface. Roll out the dough and then shape it into a long sausage form.
Cover in cling film and refrigerate for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Lightly grease two baking trays and set aside.
Remove the dough from the fridge and with a sharp knife cut thin round slices starting from one end of the dough.
Place onto the baking sheets, leaving spaces between and around each biscuit.
Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool before serving.

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