I love fennel! And I love barbecue. Fennel relishes are high on my list for that reason. This fermented fennel relish, unlike the traditional relish flavor, is not really sweet. However, it does bring a delicious, light fruitiness if you make sure to choose a sweeter variety when you buy the lemons, such as Meyer or Amalfi lemons.
Relishes are based on the cooking recipes for various seasoning sauces of Indian cuisine, which can vary considerably in terms of ingredients, consistency and taste.
Classic relishes are made from finely diced fruit or vegetables cooked up with vinegar, spices, herbs and sugar. The consistency is like jam or more liquid. If a relish is prepared cold and fermented, the valuable ingredients of the fruits and vegetables are preserved and also supplemented by the probiotic lactic acid bacteria. A feast for both your taste buds and your microbiome!
How to eat fennel relish?
The spicy fruit and vegetable sauce is a great seasoning for grilled or stir-fried vegetables, meat, poultry, fish or curries. Relish is popular in the UK on sandwiches or as a savory addition to crackers. As a dip for raw vegetable platters, they bring a lightness that creamy dips made from legumes, cheese or mayonnaise lack.
This fermented fennel relish is vegan and zero waste because the whole fennel bulb including greens is processed.
Fiery fennel relish
Equipment
- 1 0.5 liter bail jar
Ingredients
- 200 grams fennel 1 large bulb
- ½ white onion
- 4 scallions
- 1 fresh red chilli
- ½ organic lemon zest of
- 10 grams salt
- fennel fronds
Instructions
- Halve the fennel and cut into slightly coarser strips, onion, scallions and chili into fine rings. Chop the lemon peel and the fennel greens.
- Mix everything together and sprinkle with the the salt and leave to brine for 20-30 minutes. Fill the fermentation vessel with 3% brine if necessary and let it ferment for 4-6 weeks.
If you like this fennel relish, you're sure to like its fruity sibling, fruity, fermented fennel relish.
Relish is perfect for barbecues
Barbecue or BBQ, the cooking of food with fire and smoke, is one of my favorite ways to prepare hot dishes. This may be due to the special aroma or the archaic appeal of these cooking methods. It certainly has to do with the fact that barbecuing takes place outdoors and that a barbecue is always a gathering of several people, a communal event. And preparing food together and eating together simply makes me happy.
DE