Italian Vegetable Dishes Recipes - Baked Potatoes with Saffron and Fennel (Patate con Zafferano e Finocchio al Forno) Recipe

• 900 g/2 lb potatoes

• 2 fennel bulbs

• 45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil

• 5 ml/1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed

• 5 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp saffron powder

• 45 ml/3 tbsp vegetable stock

• 30 ml/2 tbsp red wine

Method:

1. Cut the potatoes into 5 cm/2 in pieces. Trim the feathery tops from the fennel and chop finely.

2. Cut each bulb into thick slices. Put the oil and fennel seeds into a baking tin (pan) and add the potatoes, fennel and garlic cloves.

3. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the saffron into the stock and wine. Pour into the tin.

4. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 30 minutes.

5. Remove the foil and cook, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes until brown. Sprinkle with the chopped fennel fronds before serving.