Fennel can absolutely have a place in dishes with onions, but it is not a total replacement. Way too strong a flavor for most flavor bases that start out with onion.
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cathray@feddit.org 19 hours ago
I always replace onions with fennel in every recipe. I have yet to find one where that wasn’t an instant improvement. I honestly don’t understand why people eat onions when fennel exists.
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 19 hours ago
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 17 hours ago
Sauteed sliced fennel would have a similar bite and sweetness, but with that added licorice aroma and without the onioniness. In a pasta sauce where dried fennel seed would be normal anyway, it seems pretty genius to me. I’m going to pick some up and try it next time I get to the grocery store.
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Sure, but it’s a lot tougher and won’t break down the same way onions should. Agreed that the flavor would work well in a dish where fennel might already be added, but again, that’s not most dishes. Still interested in hearing how your experiment goes!
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 14 hours ago
I’ve sauteed it to softness before, along with onions and celery, so I think it will be fine.
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 17 hours ago
Ah, I can see this! Gonna try it.
blitzen@lemmy.ca 19 hours ago
I don’t understand how the two are interchangeable. It’s like saying you substitute mint when something calls for a tomato.