Fennel Cutlets

Fennel cutlets are an excellent vegetarian dish that can be an interesting alternative to classic meat cutlets. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 2 fennels
• 100 g of flour
• 2 eggs
• 200 g of breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil or seed oil for frying

Preparation

1. Clean the fennels: remove the harder outer leaves and cut off the base. Then, slice them to a thickness of about half a centimeter, preferably lengthwise, to keep each slice whole.
2. Boil some slightly salted water in a pot and blanch the fennels for about 5 minutes, until they soften slightly. Drain them well.
3. Prepare three deep plates: put the flour in one, the beaten eggs with salt and pepper in another, and the breadcrumbs in the third.
4. Take each slice of fennel and coat it first in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs, making sure to cover it well.
5. Heat the oil in a frying pan and when it’s hot, fry the breaded fennel slices until they are golden on both sides. A lighter alternative is to bake them in the oven, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, at 200 °C until golden.
6. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil and serve them hot.

Fun Facts

Fennel cutlets can be enjoyed with a light side dish, such as a green salad or a mix of grilled vegetables. Furthermore, they are a creative and tasty way to get children to eat fennel or those who usually do not appreciate this vegetable. If you want to stick to the Italian theme, you can accompany the fennel cutlets with a nice glass of chilled Vermentino, which with its fresh taste and balanced acidity will complement the richness of the dish well.