Surprising Side: Milk-poached Fennel
Five minutes under low pressure, and you’ll have a healthy, delicious and unexpected side dish to accompany meat or poultry.It breaks all of the pressure cooking rules, using milk and flour, but because of the proportions and short cooking time, it works… and how!
Pressure Cooker Recipe: Milk-poached Fenne2 Small or one Large Fennel Bulb, sliced Melt the butter in a preheated pressure cooker, with the top off, on medium heat. Add the fennel slices and lightly brown them. Add the flour, and stir it in to coat the fennel slices. Sprinkle with salt, freshly grated nutmeg and pour on the milk. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker, set the pressure to LOW, and turn the heat to high. When the pan reaches pressure, lower the flame to minimum heat and count 5-6 minutes cooking time under LOW pressure. When time is up, bring the pan to the sink, pour cold water over the top, and open the pressure cooker. For electric pressure cookers, release the pressure using the automatic release method – release pressure from the top by twisting a lever. Check the fennel for doneness, and if they are still a little bit al dente continue cooking further at low heat without the pressure cooking lid. Serves 4-6
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I’m always clicking around looking for inspiration and innovation in the pressure cooker, when I stumbled across this recipe from Laura‘s pressure cooker manual in my favorite Italian pressure cooking forums, I knew I had to cook it for you!
Now that’s brave, pressure cooking milk and flour! If you say it works however I am more than willing to give this delicious recipe a try! I love fennel.
I tried it. My wife loved it (as did I). It came out wonderfully tender after 8 minutes under pressure. Too much for some people but we like our food on the soft side. Unlike the photo with the article we served it with a generous helping of the sauce. It helped that we hit the nutmeg harder than called for. Yum. Keep them coming.
Healthy Mamma, I like to break the rules. Take risks. Put flour in the pressure cooker. Just a little bit though, Ok? ; )
Steve, you can never add too much nutmeg! I’m hunting for a nutmeg “grinder” so that I don’t need to grate for 20 minutes with the miniature grater to get 1/2 a teaspoon!
I also add nutmeg to desserts. Yum!!!
Ciao,
L
Lovely! This is definitely one of my new favorites.
Now I just have to clean out the bottom of the pan!
This is delicious. It is hard to believe the Bechamel sauce comes out so nicely in a pressure cooker. My fennel was fully cooked after 5 minutes with a little brown scorching on the bottom of the pan, which did not impact the flavor. Have you tried this with any other vegetables? I’m thinking it would be good with cauliflower, broccoli, pearl onions, or other veggies that take about 5 minutes at low pressure to cook. I like the nice pictures you use on your site. Kathy Z
Kathy, in Italy we also do carrots this way. I like your idea of using broccoli and cauliflower – though they cook so fast they may fall apart in the milk! Try it, worse case… you will have a delicious soup!
Ciao,
L