Penne di San Prieto al Finoccio e Aneto

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Many ingredients that are had to find five (5) years ago are slowly being made available in the markets either through importation, or local growers. One of them is the Gourmet Farms in Cavite (check out their website here) and produces a wide variety of organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, even coffee & tea that are available in the commercial markets, like Rustan's or SM. They pioneer healthy lifestyles, so they even have ready-made dressings, sauces and dips that are very delish but without the preservatives and unwanted calories. When I saw baby fennel bulbs in the market which was a local produce of the Gourmet (Php 160 for 250g), I lit up with a smile and was excited to prepare a recipe with it.

One thing that goes well with the sweet and aromatic taste of fennel is flaky white fish. Cream Dory is a fish that was difficult and expensive to source years back, but is now widely available in steaks or fillets for less than Php 200 a kilo. It has become a truly a versatile fish that is commonly used for fish & chips or grilled preparations.

Hope you try out this recipe, Penne di San Prieto al Finoccio e Aneto (Penne pasta with Cream Dory, Fennel and Dill).

Ingredients:
500g penne, cooked al dente (reserve 1 cup pasta water)
500g cream dory fillets
250g fennel (if you do not have fennel, used equal amounts of white onion and celery)
juice of 1 lime + additional wedges for serving
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
4 cloves garlic
1 cup cream (used soy cream for this recipe, but all-purpose cream should work ok)
olive oil for sauteeing
pinch of chili flakes
salt & pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chopped dill fronds, some sprigs for garnish

Procedure:
1. Trim the fennel roots and tops and slice thinly.

2. Saute fennel & garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sweat together with salt, pepper and chili for 3-5 minutes, over low heat.

3. Add the cream, lemon juice and reserved pasta water.

4. Add sliced cream dory and poach for 5 minutes over medium heat. Flake fish with the spoon as it cooks.

5. Add the cooked pasta and stir well. Add dill at the last minute.

6. Make garlic bread by drizzling olive oil over bread and toasting at a 350F oven for 5-7 minutes. Rub with a fresh clove of garlic.

Bon Appetito! :)