CARAMELISED FENNEL LEMON ORZO

+ a bright green crunchy acidic topper

I feel a little sheepish to say I’m writing this from a rather sunny Rome today, although when I first cooked up the idea it was pouring with rain and a very grizzly winters day. I hear that the weather back in London is living up to it’s miserable legacy and so whether you’ve got the sunshine or not today, I still think a bowl of sunny food can’t go amiss in February. One of my favourite moments in winter is when the citrus comes into season. I remember vividly the January citrus delivery when I worked at e5 Bakehouse, a huge pallet arriving straight from Sicily filled to the brim with perfect lemons, clementines and blood oranges. Then began a weeks long process of turning it all into marmalade, candied peel and utilising it on the breakfast and lunch menus. When I’m cooking with lemon, I always like to use the whole fruit, rather than just the juice or the zest, it feels such a waste to juice a lemon and not harvest it’s fragrant zest at the same time. Not only is it delicious, but I love the life a pop of fluorescent lemon zest can give a savoury plate of food.

Whilst it has been sunny and warm-ish in Rome, I have managed to catch a terrible cold, and have spent the last three days mostly at home, rewatching Friends. I hate being sick, don’t we all, but especially when I am in a new place, keen to explore and make the most of my time. When forced to slow down and take a few days rest, especially here in Rome, I feel a deep anxiety and guilt that I’m wasting my days, that I should be out and about and that I won’t get this time back. Of course, without taking proper rest my cold would have persisted and I would have wasted yet more time, but still, it felt criminal to be curled up on the sofa on a perfectly breezy Roman Sunday when I could have been picking through the Porta Portese and sampling yet more cacio pepe. I will say though, that I have noticed a real maturity and difference in how I travel in my 30s, compared to my early 20s. I did quite a bit of solo travelling for work in my 20s and always struggled to make the most of my time wherever I was, paralysed by anxiety and overwhelm, with too many things to choose from, I often chose to stay home in the evenings and on my days off. On this trip I’ve felt a lot braver, more comfortable in my own skin, and more inclined to explore, even though I’m here alone. I have a slew of very lovely visitors over the next few weeks, and while I can’t wait to see all the art, eat all the pasta and wander all the streets with them, I am also relishing this time alone. I never thought I would feel this way about time spent alone in a new city, but here we are, I guess that’s growth and reassurance that these things can change over time.

Now, to the recipe. As I said, I have had a miserable cold, and really all I wanted was for someone else to make me a bowl of something warm and scoopable, but making this for myself was the next best thing. If you’ve never cooked fennel this way, caramelised and jammy, you are in for a treat, it’s beyond delicious and really shows a new side to the vegetable. Having said that, you still get the crunchy, aniseedy experience with the topper, which is not to be missed. I’ve provided super easy amends to make this vegan or vegetarian, and also a second serving suggestion for your leftovers. I hope this bowl brings a moment of sunshine to your table.

Sending love, Rosie x

CARAMELISED FENNEL LEMON ORZO

If you’d like to keep this recipe vegetarian, skip the anchovies, and to keep it vegan, also swap the cheese for another dairy free option of your choosing. If there are any leftovers, my strong recommendation is to put them into an oven proof dish, top with more mozzarella and parmesan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180c, or until the top is golden brown and crisp, while the middle is piping hot. God love a leftover.

For the orzo:

4 shallots, peeled and finely sliced

1 large bulb of fennel, green tops and fronds separated

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

0.5 tsp ground black pepper

a pinch of chilli flakes

3 anchovies in olive oil

2 large lemons, zested and juiced

300g orzo (another small pasta shape would work here such as fregola or pastina)

1.2L vegetable stock

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

For the topper:

the green tops and fronds from the fennel, finely sliced

2 tbsp capers

a small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 tbsp olive oil

a pinch of sea salt & a grind of black pepper

To serve:

200g mini mozzarella balls (bocconcini)

1. Remove the green tops and fronds of the fennel and set aside to be used later for the topper.

2. Thinly slice the remaining fennel bulb.

3. Set a large heavy bottomed pan over a medium hight heat and add the olive oil, shallots and fennel along with the salt, pepper and chilli flakes.

4. Cook over a medium high heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until jammy and caramelised.

5. While the fennel is caramelising, make the topper by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and setting to one side to marinate.

6. Back to the pan on the hob: add the anchovies, if using, and stir to break down and melt into the fennel mix.

7. Add the orzo, lemon juice and zest and all the vegetable stock, stir well to combine.

8. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from catching.

9. Test a few pieces of orzo to see if it’s cooked to your liking, keep going if you feel it’s still a little too al dente.

10. Once you’re happy with the texture, stir through the white wine vinegar.

11. Serve a generous ladle of the orzo into a shallow bowl, top with a few torn mozzarella balls and a scoop of the crunchy green topper.

12. Drizzle with a little olive oil and tuck in.