What to do with leftover fennel?

There's an episode of McMillan and Wife in which Sally and Mac bet each other a fancy, multi-course dinner while disputing something rather trivial.  I thought it was a fun idea.  My husband and I made a similar bet.  And it turned out to be a draw, because we were both partially right.  I forgot about it, but had mentioned that I would have requested a risotto from him.  Being a wonderful husband, he remembered, and surprised me with a risotto for dinner.  Unfortunately, this used slightly less than half a fennel bulb, which left us wondering what to do with this bizarre, licorice-y celery-lookalike.  So we turned to the internet (again).  The following is adapted from a recipe found on food52.com (via Emily C.)

Crispy Cream-Braised Potatoes and Fennel
3 yukon gold potatoes
1 fennel bulb
2-3 C half-and-half
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried rosemary, chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
3-4 large sprigs of thyme
Heaping 1/4 C finely grated parmesan
1 pinch lemon zest
orange-infused olive oil


Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks.  Cut off the stems of the fennel bulbs and remove any bruised or nasty bits, and cut it into chunks as well.

In a 3-4 quart pan, combine the potatoes, fennel, rosemary, and bay leaf.  Add enough half-and-half to fully cover, and season with salt and pepper.  Over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to just barely maintain it.  Cook until tender (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally to keep the cream from burning.

While they are cooking, remove the thyme leaves from the stem.  Combine thyme, cheese, and zest.  Coat the inside of a small roasting pan, baking dish, or casserole with the oil.

Remove the potatoes and fennel from the cream mixture with a slotted spoon.  Save the cream, if you like, for salad dressings or sauces.  Toss the veggies with a little bit more oil, add the cheese mixture, and place in the greased pan.  Make sure everything is evenly spread around so it all roasts nicely.  Sample a little bit to make sure you don't need more salt and pepper.

Place the pan under a high broiler for about 3 minutes, until crispy.

This was really yummy!  I was surprised how much I liked it.  The fennel flavor was subtle, just a mild undertone that gave the whole dish depth, blending neatly with the rosemary and thyme.  The cream braising gave the dish a richness that was balanced by the crispiness of the broiler finish.  We served it along with roasted chicken breasts, and the flavors went very nicely together; the braising cream was delicious with the chicken. We had friends over that night, and they also enjoyed the meal.  It was sophisticated, but rather simple.