Roasted Fennel with Walnuts

Ingredients

• 4 bulbs fennel
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 0.25 tsp pink peppercorns (crushed)
• 150 ml Vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 80 g Walnuts
• 80 g alpine cheese (vegetarian; 45% fat in total)
• 60 g heavy cream

Instructions

1. 1.

   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Clean, rinse and pat dry the fennel bulbs, then cut them lengthwise into quarters; roughly chop the fennel fronds and set aside. Wash the thyme, dry it gently and pluck off the leaves. Arrange the fennel quarters on the sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with half of the thyme. Season everything with salt, pepper and crushed pink peppercorns. Mix the vegetable broth with vinegar and pour a little over the fennel. Roast in a preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan; gas: level 3) for about 20 minutes, basting several times with the remaining broth.

2. 2.

   Meanwhile, roughly chop the walnuts. Grate the alpine cheese and stir it into the cream. After the 20‑minute bake, spread the cheese mixture over the fennel and sprinkle the walnuts on top. Return to the oven at the same temperature for another 15 minutes until the surface is lightly browned. Finish by sprinkling additional pepper, fennel fronds and remaining thyme.