Fennel parfait
This refreshing parfait is particularly nice with fennel puree (as well as a side dish for many other vegetable purees), or on its own as an apéritif.
Ingredients
- 1 heaped tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 vanilla pod
- 80 g caster sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 400 ml whipping cream, whipped
- 3-4 tbsp aniseed liqueur or aniseed brandy
Method
- Line a loaf tin with clingfilm and set aside. Coarsely grind the fennel seeds, split vanilla pod and scrape out vanilla seeds. In a saucepan bring 100 ml water, sugar, the aniseed liqueur, the crushed fennel seeds and the vanilla seeds to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Pour this syrup through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl over hot water (or a bain-marie, if you have one) and add the egg yolks. Whisk over hot water until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes, or so), remove from the hot water bath and keep whisking occasionally until cooled. Fold in whipped cream and mix well but gently. Pour mixture into prepared lined loaf tin, cover with clingfilm and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer to fridge about 30 minutes before serving.