A customer on London market drew my attention by carefully selecting 8 identical sized fennel bulbs, so I asked her what she planned to do with them. This is her recipe, which can be made in advance, and served either hot, or just warmed up.

First Remove the leaves and stems from the fennel, and retain a bit for garnish, then cut the fennel into 4 segments, put in a wide bottomed pan with olive oil, and gently braise for about 10 minutes till soft.

Place the fennel quarters in a ceramic dish, interspersed with tomato halves, sprinkle with salt, black pepper, more olive oil, and the magic ingredient- Pernod! Bake in a medium oven until just browning, and serve as a starter