If you’ve never cooked with fennel, it’s time to change that. Fennel has a delicious mild aniseed flavour that develops beautifully with braising. I combined it with eggplant, kale and chick peas and served it with Crispy Polenta Wedges for a hearty, warming winter meal.

Ingredients:

1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth/stock, or water
1 medium eggplant, trimmed and diced
1 bunch fennel, trimmed of tough base and fronds, and thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, stripped of hard stems, and finely chopped
1 large zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 can no added salt tomatoes
3 tbsp finely diced olives
2 tbsp finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
A few grinds of black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup no added salt tomato paste
4 cups cooked chick peas

Method:

Place a heavy-based or stoneware frying pan on medium-high heat until it reaches the ‘mercury ball’ stage – that is, a drop of water flicked into the pan rolls around like a mercury ball before evaporating. Add onion and sauté until just beginning to brown. Add garlic and sauté for 20 seconds. Carefully add stock/broth or water to the side of the pan to avoid scalding, and stir to lift the onion juices from the base of the pan.

Add eggplant, fennel, kale and tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 8 minutes. Stir occasional and add more water or stock if it starts to stick. Add zucchini and remaining ingredients and simmer until all vegetables are tender.

Serve with Crispy Polenta Wedges:

Ingredients:

4 cups water
1 cup polenta
1/3 cup savoury yeast flakes/nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion granules

Method:

Bring water to a rolling boil. Add polenta slowly, whisking continuously. Turn heat down, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, whisking every couple of minutes.

If you have a Thermomix, bring water to the boil then set Thermomix to speed 6 (leaving it at 100°C setting), and trickle polenta through the lid hole. Turn heat down to 90°C and cook for 15-20 minutes on speed 4 or until polenta is smooth and no grittiness remains.

Stir in yeast and onion powder, and pour polenta into 2 moulds – I used round Pyrex baking dishes. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight if you have time.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper or a silicon baking mat.

Using a spatula, carefully loosen polenta and invert onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 30 minutes, then flip, cut into wedges and bake for another 30-40 minutes or until crispy on the outside.