¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed
3 medium cloves garlic, 2 smashed and
peeled, 1 minced
1 to 1¼ lb. fennel (about 1 medium
bulb), trimmed, cored, and sliced
lengthwise 18 inch thick (reserve some
fennel fronds for garnish)
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 tsp. fennel seeds
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
8 lamb rib chops
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1½ Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more as needed
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh oregano
Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large
skillet. Add the smashed garlic, and cook until
it’s soft, fragrant, and lightly browned, 2½ to
3 minutes; don’t let it get too dark, which
would make it taste bitter. Add the fennel, toss
with ½ tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper,
reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is
slightly soft and translucent, about 20 min-
utes. Remove the lid, and continue to cook
over very low heat, scraping occasionally.
You’ll begin to see the juices caramelizing on
the base of the pan—you want to scrape those
up and incorporate them into the fennel. Con-
tinue cooking until the fennel is very tender
and sweet, 40 to 50 minutes total. If not using
right away, let cool, then cover and refrigerate
for up to 5 days. Reheat gently before serving.Combine the fennel seeds and pepper
flakes in a mortar and pestle, and crush the
fennel seeds. Season the chops with salt
and pepper, and press the pepper flakes and
fennel seeds onto all sides. Let the chops sit
at room temperature for 20 minutes, or cover
and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Just before cooking, combine the parsley,
lemon zest and juice, oregano, and minced
garlic in a small bowl; season with a bit more
salt, pepper, and lemon juice; it should taste
bright and zingy.
Grill or sear the chops over medium-high
heat, flipping once and adjusting the heat as
necessary, until cooked to your liking, 4 to
6 minutes total for medium rare (130°F). Serve
the chops topped with the herb mixture, the
confit, and fennel fronds, if you like.fennel “confit” with grilled lamb
Like caramelized onions, slowly cooked fennel becomes deep, rich, and sweet tasting. Paired with a lemony, gremolata-like
herb garnish, it’s a great accompaniment to lamb chops coated in crushed fennel seeds. Serves 4
FINECOOKING.COM 29