Fennel Stuffed with Shrimp on Potato-Saitling Brunoise

Here I am again - the longer blog break is due to the eventful workday and the many private projects, but not the lack of cooking, eating and writing.

So it’s a good idea to combine as many of my kitchen favorites as possible - fennel, shrimp, garlic, potatoes, mushrooms,… and cheese au gratin is also a favorite, even if you might not immediately associate cheese and shrimp. Let me tell you - the combination worked out well!

I got a big fennel bulb, more than fist-sized and still not woody on the outside, but plump and shiny, the way a fresh fennel just has to look. I free the bulb from the green and cut off a little dried on the stalk, but so that all the individual parts continue to hang together. The good piece now comes in salted water and simmer in just under 20 minutes soft, but not labberig.

In the time I cut a medium potato (maybe 150 g) and a handful of herb seedlings in finest cubes, 5 mm side length. To this I add two spring onions, also cut into small pieces. The pieces rest for a while, because now it’s time for the filling.

I take about 10 shrimp without shell and tail (and a few extra to snack on… er, to check the cooking status) and marinate them briefly in a mixture of olive oil, garlic, crushed pink berries, salt, cayenne, pepper. Dry well beforehand! Then put them in the pan and fry them strongly on both sides in 90 seconds at the most, they should still be well glazed on the inside. The halved garlic pieces fry with, I put them afterwards to the filling. It needs space! To do this, I carefully hollow out the fennel - not so easy, since it is softer on the outside than on the inside. But with a few courageous cuts with the boning knife, I manage to make a cavity for the shrimp. In with it!

Now cut cheese slices, or more precisely narrow strips, I take Comté. I push them between the layers of fennel, the rest is put on top. Then I balance the construction in the preheated oven, at 200° everything cooks well in 15-20 minutes and the cheese melts. 5 minutes at the end then grill over.

Meanwhile fry the cubes with some finely chopped rosemary (1 sprig), first the potatoes, then after a while add the onions, then the mushrooms. Take proper fat, so that nothing sticks!

Everything will be ready on the dot. Quickly prepare some fennel greens for decoration, place everything on a plate and the delicious combination is ready.

fennel stuffed with shrimps, cheese, side-dish brunoise potatos