So I’ve been experimenting with fennel lately. Up until a few weeks ago fennel was completely unknown to me.

I’m not a fan of licquorice, at all. Fennel is known to smell the same way as licquorice, but believe me the taste couldn’t be further from alike.

Such a simple dish to throw together, so fresh and comforting on a winter’s night. The vegetables take on a beautiful creaminess from the addition of butter when roasting but is still nice and light for a side dish to a meal.

Roasted Fennel and Beetroot Salad.

Serves 2 generously

3 x small beetroot, peeled

1 x medium fennel

1 x bulb garlic

1 x medium washed potato

50g x unsalted butter

1 x tablespoon olive oil

30g danish feta

handful of baby spinach per person

Sea salt flakes and pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C, fan forced.

Chop the beetroot up into wedges and the potato into cubes. You want these on the smaller side as they’ll take longer to cook then the fennel.

Chop the fennel into rough wedges. Cut the top off the garlic and peel any loose skin off.

Put half the oil into a roasting pan or pyrex dish and spread over the base. Add all the vegetables to the pan, try to keep the beetroot away from the fennel if you don’t want the colour to bleed into the fennel. Cut the butter into cubes and place over the vegetables evenly through the pan, pour the remaining oil over vegetables as well. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over all of them.

Slide the pan into the oven and cook for 20-30mins or until brown and the beetroot is softened when stabbed with a skewer.

To serve, place a bed of baby spinach on each plate add a good mix of the roasted fennel, beetroot, garlic and potato. Top if off with a bit of crumbled feta.

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