In keeping with my penchant for putting sweet fruits in savory dishes, I’ve been eating a lot of peaches for dinner lately. If I’m firing up the Weber in the backyard, I’ll cut the peaches in half and remove the pits, brush the cut sides with oil, and grill them until they’re tender, then serve them with grilled pork and corn on the cob. I have been known to eat fresh peach salsa (with lime, mint, and chilis) straight from the bowl with a spoon.
The recipe below arose out of a series of experiments inspired by sweet and sour Persian and Central Asian dishes that mix fruits, vegetables, and often meats with grains or legumes. Fennel may seem like an odd addition to a curry, but just as spices traveled from Asia to Europe along the ancient trade routes, so fennel was one of the foods that made the opposite journey from its home on the shores of the Mediterranean to Persia and India. Add chicken if you like and serve over rice or with bread (especially tasty smeared with garlic butter).
A cooling cucumber raita would make an excellent accompaniment. Try this simple one or this fancier one. .
Peach Fennel Curry
Serves 4-6
4 Tbsp. olive oil
3 medium fennel bulbs, stalks and roots detached*, outer layers removed, chopped small (about 1 cup) (or substitute a teaspoon of fennel seeds, added at the same time as the other spices below)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped small (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
¼ tsp. black pepper
1/8-1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 lbs. peaches (4-5 medium), chopped into 1-inch chunks, peeled or not
¾ cup lentils (yellow, red, or green), rinsed
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, warmed (or at least at room temperature)
Fresh cilantro and mint or other herbs, finely chopped, to garnish
Rice or bread
*Note: Reserve the fennel stalks and fronds for another use. I used the fronds to make this sweet fennel syrup for adding to sparkling water or cocktails, and can’t wait to try out one of these ideas with the stalks.
1. Heat the olive oil in heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fennel and cook until softened and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, then add the spices and cook for 1 more minute.
2. Add the peaches, lentils, and stock and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened and lentils are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Remove curry from heat and let cool 5-8 minutes before adjusting seasonings to taste and serving. (Warning: very hot juice may explode from the peaches when you bite into them! Be careful.) Serve with brown or basmati rice, naan, or toasted pita or baguette smeared with garlic butter. Pass extra chili flakes at the table if desired.
