Confit Fennel With Capsicum And Tomato

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 6 fennel bulbs
• 1 onion
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 red capsicums (bell peppers)
• 6 anchovy fillets
• 1 teaspoon capers
• 6 mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chicken stock
• salt & pepper
• 2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Recipe

• 1 peel and seed the tomato, chop the capsicum and finely chop the onion and garlic.
• 2 melt the onion and garlic in half the olive oil until they are soft and slightly golden.
• 3 fry the capsicum slowly with the onions and garlic until it is well cooked and tender.
• 4 add the chopped onion and cook it till soft.
• 5 add chopped anchovy fillets, capers and mint and stir together.
• 6 allow to cool, then blend this mixture with the chicken stock.
• 7 heat the oven to 180 degrees.
• 8 oil a gratin dish with the remaining olive oil.
• 9 cut the fennel bulbs in half and then into slices. cut head to tail, not across, and you will be able to re-assemble each half-bulb face down in the gratin dish.
• 10 pour the capsicum-tomato-stock mixture over and around the fennel. add salt and pepper to taste.
• 11 cover with aluminium foil and bake for 1 hour or until the fennel is soft but not completely cooked.
• 12 remove the foil and cook a further 15 minutes till the sauce has thickened.
• 13 when the sauce is thick, top the fennel with the grated parmesan and return to the oven until the fennel is tender and the parmesan has melted.