Fennel fatale

It has been cultivated for centuries, but fennel is a herb not without its critics.

If ever there was a herb with a bad reputation then it must be fennel. It has gained its bad name and is despised because it is often found along the railway tracks of New Zealand.

However, it is known to be one of the oldest cultivated herbs.

Fennel grows tall in the herb garden. It can get to nearly 2m high if left to flower, producing attractive, 15cm-round, flat yellow flowerheads. If harvesting the seeds, the flowerhead needs to be left until the green seeds are just beginning to turn brown.

Fennel grows easily from seed

(which is why it spreads so readily on wasteland). It prefers a good dosing of lime when planted out in the garden and will flourish anywhere there in the sun, preferring dry conditions.

It looks best at the back of a border because it will grow tall. If required, keep it trimmed, removing the flowering stalks that will otherwise set seed to promote the growth of more tasty leaves. The leaves grow in feathery fronds akin to ferns, sprouting out from the centre. At the end of summer, give fennel a cut back and tidy it up all over so it remains lower during the winter cold. Then it is ready to start its rapid growth at this time of year.

There are different types available, from the common green fennel to the red or brown fennel that has attractive bronzy leaf tones. There is also the cultivar Florence fennel, with its bulb-like base that is used in much Mediterranean cooking as a vegetable. To encourage the fat bulb development at the base of the plant, Florence fennel needs a rich, moist soil.

Fennel belongs to the Apiaceae family and is a cousin to coriander, parsley and dill. And like all of these family members, it has plenty of use in the kitchen. The flavour is sweeter though, and similar to anise. Traditionally, the flavour is used in fish recipes. I like to use it to flavour white sauce, especially when combining the sauce with vegetables such as broccoli or cauliflower. Include it in a selection of other herbs used fresh to add piquancy to egg dishes such as omelettes and soufflé meals. It even tastes nice chopped finely and mixed in salads. Just a little though, in combination with other herbs such as chive, parsley, coriander or basil.

Fennel also makes a pleasant-tasting herbal tea. Break a 20cm-long leaf frond into several pieces and place it in a teapot or straight into a cup and pour boiling water over the fennel leaf. Let this infuse for a few minutes – the resulting tea is sweet and anise-flavoured.

Medicinally, fennel is used to combat an upset stomach, especially if one suffers from stomach wamblings, to put it politely. (It was used in Medieval times if one tended to overeat during a feast.)

Fennel seeds are also recommended for quelling bad breath. Just a few, maybe half a teaspoon, munched and swallowed, help to sweeten the breath – and they taste good as well.