Sweet Fennel with Lemon and Shaved Parmigiano
My friend Skip Lombardi shared this simple but delicious snack with me. It typifies the essence of his beloved Italian cuisine: Use the best ingredients without overcomplicating them.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
- 2 bulbs fresh fennel
- ½ fresh lemon
- 1 wedge (at least 4 inches long) Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or Asiago cheese
- 1 tablespoon very high quality extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of salt
Trim the stems and hairlike fronds from the fennel tops. Break the bulbs apart, layer by layer, using your hands to make long, bite-size pieces. Discard the core. Arrange the pieces pyramid-shape onto a small, attractive serving plate.
Squeeze the lemon over the fennel.
Using a peeler, shave curls of cheese over the fennel, allowing them to fall where they may; make about 10 curls.
Drizzle the olive oil over the plate, and sprinkle with salt. Serve at room temperature.
Even-Seasoning Secret
To avoid salty patches in some parts of your food and bland, unseasoned patches on other parts, take a cue from pro chefs: Season from a great height. Most chefs pinch salt between their thumb and forefinger and sprinkle it down onto food from a great height, more than a foot above the item being seasoned. It tends to shower broadly over the food this way, covering evenly.
