How To Cut Fennel Bulbs For Salads And Roasting

If you're a big fan of bright, fresh flavors and you're not using fennel, you're missing out. This sweet, crunchy member of the carrot family loves mild climates and light, loamy soils, growing wild throughout the Mediterranean, and is popular in the United States, as well. Though most parts of the plant are edible, it's usually considered a root vegetable, as the white, fleshy bulb is the part usually featured in recipes. It's also one of several veggies most frequently cut incorrectly.

Beautiful when sliced, the whole bulb's asymmetrical shape can be confusing if you're cutting it for the first time — but not to worry, it's not as complicated as it seems. Whole fennel bulbs are shaped a bit like a sailing boat, with a curved bottom and stalks protruding from a flatter top. The stalks end in feathery fronds and sometimes flowers, all of which have tasty culinary uses. After washing, chop away the stalks close to the bulb, setting them aside to use in stock and saving the fronds for salads.

Next, you'll notice that the bulb is formed of overlapping layers, similar to an onion. The outermost layer will likely be a dingy white with a few gouges and smudges of dirt. You can either remove these outer layers entirely or use a veggie peeler to strip away the dirty parts, which preserves a little more of the bulb. Either way, you now have a cream-colored bulb of fennel prepped and ready to be sliced, shaved, or chopped.

When deciding how to cut your fennel, you should first determine how you plan to use it. The first few steps will be the same in every instance, but you'll shift technique midway through depending on your recipe. To start, cut the bulb in half lengthwise, slicing into the top part where you removed the stalks, and slicing down through the bottom of the root. Holding the halves together, turn your knife 90 degrees and slice down through the root width-wise to quarter it.

Next, choose a technique based on whether you'll enjoy it raw or cooked. For instance, if you want to use it raw in a salad for a complex pop of licorice-y sweetness, you may want to shave it. Shaving produces paper-thin slices that are easy to chew, but still crunchy and full of bright flavor. The simplest way to do this is to run the flat edges of each bulb quarter over a mandolin. Shaved fennel also offers a surprisingly delicious substitute for onions on burgers or sandwiches.

If you plan to cook your fennel, slightly thicker slices or dices will be best, as its flavor softens significantly when it's exposed to heat. To slice it, place each of the quarters cut-side down on your cutting board and slice along the longest edge. Turn this into dice cuts by pinching the slices together, turning them 90 degrees, and slicing again. You'll have near-perfect little cubes of fennel in no time.

Other than deciding what technique to use to cut your fennel, the biggest decision you'll need to make is whether or not to include the core. Fennel bulbs have a hard central core that's a little tougher than the rest of the root. It's flavorful and safe to eat, but some people prefer to remove it for raw applications to keep the texture consistent. Texture isn't as much of a concern if you're roasting or stewing your fennel, as the core softens and becomes easier to chew after it's cooked.

If you decide to remove the core, you can do so after the first lengthwise cut, which will expose the pattern of layers inside the fennel bulb. To locate the core, find where the layers connect near the center of each half in a solid wedge shape. Remove it by slicing along either side of the wedge and plucking it out with your fingers. You can discard it or place it with the fennel stalks to use as a flavoring agent for broths and sauces.

Once the core is removed, the layers of your fennel bulb will no longer be connected at the center, so they may begin to fall apart. This isn't too much of a problem — simply quarter each side as previously described to make it easier to pinch the layers together as you slice them. You can also allow the layers to separate and restack them like upside-down cups before cutting.