Fennel Pollen
Foeniculum vulgare dulce
$18
When you add a dash to any dish, you transform the ordinary into extraordinary.
Fennel Pollen compares to fennel fronds as a rich, golden chicken stock compares to powdered bouillon cubes. It has authority and lends a confidence to dishes as if to say, this is what food should taste like.
It won't save a bad recipe, but it can completely transform a good dish making it resplendent because it tastes like pure summer joy!
With a floral and intoxicating aroma Fennel Pollen is an incredibly powerful spice and a favorite ingredient of many famous chefs.
The flavor lies somewhere between the muskiness of sage, the bright bite of anise and the floral delicacy of saffron. It brings notes of licorice, citrus, and marshmallows.
Anything that resembles fennel in its sweet anise flavor is a winner but fennel pollen goes above and beyond. It’s as if it takes all that is good with that subtly sweet licorice essence and makes it a thousand times better.
Tuscan chefs traditionally use fennel pollen on pork, but modern chefs use it's unique flavor on a broad array of foods. Tomatoes, in rice, on salmon and quail and of course on pork. It makes a rich cream sauce to use with pan seared scallops.
Fennel Pollen is an incredibly powerful spice, with notes of licorice, citrus, and marshmallows. The flavor lies somewhere between the muskiness of sage, the bright bite of anise and the floral delicacy and slight bitterness of saffron.
Fennel pollen is the most potent form of fennel, but also the most expensive part of the anise plant. The yellow pollen is picked by hand and dried to a tan or brown color with great fragrance.
Chefs and Food Gurus Comments
- Food writer Peggy Knickerbocker said “If angels sprinkled a spice from their wings, this would be it.” (Saveur, May/June 2000)
- In her book, Cook Like a Rock Star, Chef Anne Burrell calls it her “Super Secret Flavor Weapon” and uses it to crust pork chops.
- Faith Willinger dubbed it as “one of the most exciting flavors of central Italian cooking."
- Michael Ruhlman, I consider very few ingredients “secret” but Fennel Pollen has been a game changer for chefs for years. Very potent, intense and powerful finishing devices, Fennel Pollen gives a whole range of dishes a magical pop that makes you say “wow, where did that come from?”
Health Benefits
Fennel pollen is the pollen collected from flowers on the fennel plant. Fennel and its seeds and pollen have been used as an herbal remedy for a host of aliments, including digestive discomforts, and as a purifying food for the body, beneficial for natural detoxification, and weight loss.
Fennel was believed beneficial in disorders of the eye, and helpful in reducing cataracts in the elderly. In ancient Chinese medicine, fennel was used as a remedy for snakebites.
| Botanical Name | Foeniculum vulgare dulce |
|---|---|
| Common Names | Florence Fennel, Finnochio |
| Flavor | Notes of licorice, citrus, and marshmallows |
Blue Crab & Apple Salad
This is very simple to make but still an impressive starter. You could also serve on little fingers of toast, wonton shells or in little gem lettuce cups for tasty canapes.
Fennel Pollen Shortbread
In an article for Saveur, the food writer Peggy Knickerbocker wrote, "If angels sprinkled a spice from their wings, this would be it." We couldn't agree more. Anything that resembles fennel in its sweet anise flavor is a winner but fennel pollen goes above and beyond. It’s as if it takes all that is good with that subtly sweet licorice essence and makes it a thousand times better. The aroma is floral and intoxicating.
Tuna Croquettes
Old fashioned Tuna Croquettes is a quick and easy recipe. A great idea for a comfort food meal in a hurry. While you can guess that the name Tuna Croquettes doesn't sing but a plate full of these (tuna as an improvisation of) "crab cakes" will be great with either the condiments and wines we have suggested.