Fennel with Red Bell Pepper Salad

Though fresh fennel looks much like celery, its flavor is quite different: both the creamy white bulb and the feathery leaves have a cool, faint licorice flavor. Here, sliced fennel and sweet red pepper are cooked briefly in butter, then tossed with a bit of cream.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 or 4 small fennel bulbs (with tops)
• 1 small onion
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• Salt and pepper
  

METHOD

Trim fennel stalks just above bulb; reserve leaves and discard stalks. Trim and discard bulb base. Insert metal blade. Place fennel leaves in work bowl and process, using on-off pulses, until chopped; set aside.

Following directions on pages 13 and 15, chop onion, then bell pepper, setting each aside separately. Change to slicing disc. Slice fennel.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and fennel to pan. Cook, stirring, just until fennel is tender-crisp to bite (about 3 minutes). Transfer fennel mixture to a serving dish. Add cream to pan. Bring to a boil over high heat; then boil, stirring, until reduced by half. Pour over fennel mixture and toss to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped fennel leaves. Makes about 6 servings.