ROASTED FLORENCE FENNEL & WITLOOF WITH SCHUG SAUCE

SERVES 4-6 AS A SIDE DISH / PREPARATION 20 MINUTES / COOKING 30 MINUTES

Schug (pronounced skoog) is a spiced green sauce sometimes spelled zhug, skug or zhoug. A Middle Eastern condiment, it is so versatile to use with meats, as a dressing for vegetables, a base for sandwiches, tossed through pasta, or stirred through risotto. The options are endless...

SCHUG SAUCE

3 teaspoons coriander seeds 3 teaspoons cumin seeds

5 cardamom pods, seeds only 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper

5 hot green chillies

6 cloves garlic

75g fresh coriander, leaves and stems 75g flat-leafed parsley, leaves and stems zest and juice of 1 lemon

1½ cups olive oil

Toast all the dried spices until they smell fragrant, then transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush. Put the chillies and garlic in a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Add everything else and pulse until you have a semi-rough sauce – you want some texture. Taste and season with salt.

4 large Florence fennel bulbs ¼ cup olive oil

3-4 large green witloof

Heat the oven to 220℃ fan bake.

Prepare the fennel by cutting off the top stalks, trimming a little off the bottom of the bulb, then cutting the fennel lengthwise into 4 or 5 pieces. Coat in olive oil and place on a large baking tray.

Prepare each witloof by cutting it in half lengthwise, then into quarters. Coat in olive oil and place on another large baking tray.

Place both baking trays in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes until slightly charred – the witloof will be ready first after about 20 minutes, then the fennel. Once cooked, cool to room temperature.

There are two ways to serve this, both at room temperature: you could mix the roasted vegetables with ¾ cup of Schug sauce and plate on a platter. Or layer the vegetables on a platter and splatter randomly with Schug sauce.

The remaining dressing can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.