Roasted Fennel with Merguez and Apricots
Recipe by Chef Megan Watson @mwatsonnyc
YIELD: Serves 2-4. (Recipe easily doubled)
TIME: 40 minutes
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced into strips
- 2 medium fennel bulbs, remove and keep tops
- 4 Merguez sausages
- 4 apricots halved, pit removed and quartered
- 1 bunch of hearty greens (such as kale, spigarello or broccoli rabe)
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup of fennel fronds (from fennel tops), roughly chopped
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup of white balsamic (or your favorite vinegar)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 425°F
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On baking sheet (18”x 13” or so) toss the onions and fennel with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in preheated oven.
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Heat a medium cast iron pan or skillet and pour in 1TB of olive oil. Once the oil begins to ripple, add sausage and brown on all sides. Once browned and blistered, remove from pan and turn off heat. Do not discard pan or liquid therin.
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Remove baking sheet from oven, stir vegetables and place sausage on top and return to the oven. It will finish cooking there.
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Return previously used pan (with liquid) to medium heat. Add apricots, ensuring every slice is touching the pan. Stir occasionally, to get color on both sides. This will happen quickly so keep watch; you do not want them to overcook and become mushy. Then, add butter, honey, salt and squeeze of lemon juice to glaze the apricots. Once shiny, turn off heat and remove them from pan onto a plate.
- Clean the same pan. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Add greens. After a minute, add 2 tablespoons water to the pan to help them cook faster. cook until bright green and blistered, about 4-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Once cooked, turn off heat.
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At 20 minutes, check on baking sheet in oven. Fennel should be browned and tender. If necessary, return to oven for up to an additional 10 minutes.
- Once fennel is done, remove baking sheet from oven. Remove sausages to plate, add greens and apricots, and stir. Check for seasoning and sprinkle with white balsamic or your favorite vinegar. Then place your sausages back. Sprinkle with fennel fronds and parsley and serve.
Please DM or email me if you have any questions. @mwatsonnyc or mwatsonnyc@gmail.com. Enjoy!
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