Fagottini di Finocchio e Pancetta al Forno

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Remove the fronds from the bulbs of fennel, chop them coarsely, and set them aside. Trim the stem ends of the fennel and slice the bulbs in two if they are small, or in thirds, if they are somewhat larger. Place the fennel, the fronds, and the salt in a large pot, barely covering all with cold water. Cover the pot and, over a medium flame, bring to a gentle simmer, poaching the fennel for 5 to 7 minutes or until it only begins to soften. Drain the fennel, discarding the fronds, and lay them on a work space.

   Step 2

   Over a lively flame, sauté the pancetta in the olive oil, crisping it a bit before removing it to absorbent paper towels. Reserve the pan drippings. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wrap each piece of poached fennel with a slice of pancetta, securing it with a toothpick, and lay the wrapped fennel in a single layer in a large, shallow terra-cotta or enameled cast-iron gratin dish. Strew the fennel with the olives.

   Step 3

   In a bowl, blend the cream and the wine with the anise and fennel seeds, adding generous grindings of pepper. Pour the liquids evenly over the fennel. Dust the whole with the pecorino and the bread crumbs and drizzle the dish with the reserved pan drippings.

   Step 4

   Roast the fennel for 40 minutes or until it has drunk in nearly all the liquids, a good burnished crust has formed from the cheese and the bread crumbs, and bits of lightly charred pancetta are poking through it all.

   Step 5

   The perfume of this dish is a raging heartbreaker. Present it very warm with very cold white wine as an antipasto or as a first course. In any case, it deserves one’s attention, to be eaten on its own.