Fennel a hit for flavour and texture

This time of year is perfect for fennel. The fresh aniseed-flavoured bulbs can be used raw or cooked. I often shave fennel into salads, as it adds interesting flavour and texture. I find the best way to shave a fennel bulb is using a Japanese mandolin. Raw fennel, shaved thinly and tossed with blood orange segments, torn parsley and good quality olive oil, makes a fantastic salad that goes well with grilled salmon.

Fennel and celeriac are two winter vegetables I enjoy eating raw. The dressing of lemon juice, sour cream and capers in the remoulade only slightly softens the fennel and celeriac so they still have a fantastic crunch. The vibrant flavours go well with barbecued beef or grilled pork sausages. The fennel gratin makes a hearty winter accompaniment for slow-cooked lamb shoulder or pot-roast chicken.

FENNEL GRATIN

450g fennel (about three heads)

700g waxy potatoes, peeled

425ml double cream

150ml sour cream

115ml milk

Salt and pepper

Knob of butter

1 garlic clove, cut in half

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Trim fennel tips and remove outer leaves if these are tough or discoloured. Reserve any feathery bits and chop - they can go into the gratin.

Quarter each head of fennel lengthways and carefully remove the hard core from each segment. Using a mandolin if you have one (it's much easier than a knife), cut the fennel into wafer-thin slices. Cut potatoes into wafer-thin slices, then place in a saute pan with fennel, double cream, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and let potatoes and fennel cook gently for about four minutes. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Butter a gratin dish and rub with halved garlic clove. Mix mustard through potato mix, then spoon mixture into gratin dish, season well and sprinkle over the reserved fennel fronds. Bake for one hour 20 minutes. The vegetables should be tender, the milk absorbed and the top golden brown. Sprinkle parsley over and serve.

Serves 6

FENNEL AND CELERIAC REMOULADE

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sharp mustard

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp sour cream

2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped

Black pepper

1 medium fennel bulb

1 medium celeriac

1 tbsp finely minced chives

1 tbsp finely minced parsley

Make dressing first, as celeriac will brown once cut and exposed to air. Mix salt, mustard and lemon juice in a small bowl; whisk in olive oil one tablespoon at a time. Gradually add sour cream and then stir in the capers and season with black pepper. Set aside. Remove fronds from fennel and trim base, quarter bulbs and slice into slivers. Place in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Cut top and base off the celeriac and stand it on your cutting board. Remove the skin as you would an orange*, and cut celeriac into fine strips. Add to fennel in bowl and mix in the dressing with your hands, tossing until thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, the longer the better as the celeriac needs time to absorb the flavours of the dressing and soften a little.

Serves 6

*If the skin is thin, you can peel it with a vegetable peeler.