Roasted Fennel with Orange

Fennel is a rather controversial vegetable. In fact, besides cilantro, what is more controversial than licorice flavors? I have to admit, I've never been a huge fan, but I'd been curious about fennel for a while now, and this recipe seemed promising. I used stock with lemon juice instead of a whole cup of orange juice; otherwise, this recipe is pretty close to the original. To me, it tastes a bit like Thanksgiving, which surprises me, given that fennel most certainly did not play an important role in Thanksgivings growing up. Yet perhaps the mellow flavors of the roasted onion, with the citrus and the rosemary, do the trick. In any case, this dish ended up being far tastier than I expected--even as cold leftovers. Ideally, the onions and fennel should be tender but not yet totally mushy.

Roasted Fennel with Orange
(adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian)

Ingredients
2-3 TB olive oil
1 bulb fennel, in very thin moon slices (trim, and reserve green fronds)
1 onion, in very thin moon slices
1 orange, in very thin moon slices
1 c vegetable stock
1 TB lemon or orange juice
1 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500*.
2. In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium low heat and add fennel, onion, and orange.
3. Add stock, juice, and rosemary, and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place skillet in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes, until vegetables are soft and just beginning to get brown and crispy.
5. Garnish with green fennel fronds.