BAKED FENNEL

Steps:

• To prepare the fennel, cut off the upper stems close to the bulb and trim off the bottoms. If small bulbs are available, cut each trimmed bulb in half lengthwise. If small bulbs are not available, cut each lengthwise into quarters.
• As the fennel bulbs are trimmed and cut, drop them into a basin of cold water.
• Bring a large quantity of water to the boil in a saucepan and add salt to taste.
• Drain the fennel and add the pieces to the boiling water.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Let the fennnel cook about 10 minutes, until almost tender. Drain. Pat dry, using a clean linen towel or paper toweling. If the centers of each piece of fennel are tough or woody, carefully trim away and discard the tough part.
• Arrange the fennel pieces in one layer in a baking dish, cut-side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the olive oil.
• Place the dish in the oven and bake 20 minutes.