Mr. Tanis --
I am shocked that neither your article of Sept. 28, 2018, "A Delicate Treatment for a Just-as-Delicate Fish", nor Melissa Clark's "A Pasta as Versatile and Reliable as Your Pantry" accept readers' comments. I am sure there would have been quite a few on the deboning of the flatfish and using the fork for spaghetti, respectively.
I made this delicious pork dish last night, and it was wonderful. I used one large fennel bulb and one onion and only had an hour to do the brine. Easy and perfect with brown rice for an autumn dinner celebration.
It appears that you used the flatter fennel plant. These are tasteless. Next time, try the big round bulbous plants.
I've heard that the big round bulbs are female, or male. Not sure which. But there is a ton of difference in the flavor.
One additional tip. It is important to not overcook fennel. If it is sautéed too long, it loses its flavor.
From your photo, it appears that you used male fennel plants. Tasteless. Next time try females (rounder bulbs).
@Karen
Nope. From the LA Times...
Many customers still believe the old canard that fennel comes in male and female forms (although opinions differ as to whether the males are flatter, and the females plumper, or vice versa). Any such sexual distinctions are patently bogus, since fennel plants produce hermaphrodite flowers, with both male and female parts, but it is true that the flatter, more elongated bulbs are stringier and less succulent compared with the rounder, plumper ones.
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I made this last night, I was out of pork chops so used a pork tenderloin. Also cubed up and quick fried some cubed potatoes, then added the potatoes to the fennel mixture, and the browned tenderloin on top. It was delicious!
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Please tell me the oven temperature. Thank you
@Barbara Lences
I don't think you can go wrong at 325 F to finish off any dish.
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@ mlb4ever New York
You may well be right about 325°F, but I finish steaks and pheasant at 375°F.
The recipe calls for 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.
Great piece. What’s the name of the butcher shop?
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Thank you for your clear description of how to make this dish. Now that the Times is charging for recipes, this is all we need to be able to cook. To those who are afraid to try without specific measures: just go with your instincts, and look closely at the pictures. You really don't need numbers to make this!
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@ Suzanne Fass Upper Upper Manhattan
"You ... don't need numbers to make this!" -- A wonderful reminder to all the pedantic cooks who become easily ensnared in the weight and volume measures, and then in the US or metric units. The caveman certainly had no numbers to worry about.
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@Tuvw Xyz No pork chops either.
@Suzanne Fass Ah, so you too noticed about the charging for recipes. I've been a digital subscriber since the start, then suddenly I'm told my free trial subscription to recipes was about to expire.
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A wonderfully touching craving for pork chops. For esthetic reasons, I do not eat pork flesh, except for cured or smoked ham. The nearest to pork is wild boar, roasted over an open fire.
But even to someone like myself, the pork chops on the photos look delicious.
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