Marinated fennel with Taggiasca olives, fantastic with every dish and truly simple to prepare. Like all marinated dishes, the only drawback is waiting time, but I assure you it is really worth it. At the end of the recipe, I flavored them with dried lavender flowers because I gather them from the plants I have in the garden, but as already suggested in the ingredients, you can replace it with dried oregano. When I know I have time available, I dedicate myself to the bulk preparation of marinated fennel because I then preserve them, so they’re ready when I don’t know what to serve. I preserve almost everything, and I must admit they are my lifesaver in the worst moments, more than a frozen product that needs to be thawed slowly in the fridge. In this case, just go to the pantry and remove the lid from a glass jar. If you want to try this technique and don’t know how, don’t improvise but read my article on Homemade Preserves.
If you like marinated foods, don’t miss the upcoming recipes:
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Day 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 17.6 oz cleaned fennel
- 3.5 oz white wine vinegar
- 2 pinches salt
- 3.5 oz Taggiasca olives
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- 0.7 oz sliced almonds
- as needed lavender or oregano
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Plastic wrap
Preparation
Remove the green part of the fennel, but don’t throw it away as it will be useful for other recipes. Split them in half and wash them thoroughly under running water, slightly opening them. After drying them, slice them as thinly as possible with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut yourself. If you have a kitchen tool that simplifies this task, feel free to use it.
Place the slices in a bowl, drizzle them with white wine vinegar, add the salt, and mix well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 36/48 hours, stirring occasionally.
Now prepare a coarse chop of Taggiasca olives. Squeeze the fennel well to remove as much liquid as possible and put them in a container with extra virgin olive oil.
Adjust the salt only if necessary, add freshly ground pepper, Taggiasca olives, and sliced almonds.
Mix all the ingredients so that the flavors are well distributed and finish with a handful of lavender or, if not available, dried oregano.
Serve our Marinated Fennel with Taggiasca Olives immediately, and accompany them with the dishes you like most, as they go well with everything.
Advice
Marinated fennel keeps in the fridge for several days, so you can prepare larger quantities, but store them in an airtight glass jar.
Avoid plastic containers carefully, as they are truly toxic.
I have never tried freezing them, so I have no experience in this regard, but I promise to give it a try.
