Category: Feathers

Flavor Combination: Orange, Fennel and Rosemary


One of the most invaluable books about cooking I own is The Flavor Bible. It’s not a cookbook, per se, but an encyclopedia of flavors that compliment each other. Want to know what foods work well with cilantro? Cardamom? Honey? Kumquats? It’s in The Flavor Bible, which helpfully couples each food with its flavor affinities. There are familiar food combinations that just seem to resonate like musical chords: apple, cinnamon and pork; sesame, soy and rice wine vinegar; and the holy trinity of mirepoix, carrots, celery and onion; just to name a few. When I find a favorite culinary chord, I love to test its versatility. Such is the case with rosemary, fennel and orange — a trio I’ve played a dozen ways, which never disappoints. This flavor combination works equally (and surprisingly) well with pork, beef and chicken in a variety of cooking methods. Here are some that worked well for me:

1.) Grilled flank steak: Since you’ll be cooking high heat, you don’t want burnt rosemary bits all over your steak. Marinate the leaves whole or slightly bruised with the back of your knife along with orange juice, a bit of red pepper (or try a squirt or sriracha!), whole fennel seeds and some garlic. Pour out and scrape off the mixture before tossing the flank on the grill. Five to six minutes on both sides at high heat will get you medium rare. Grill orange halves and squeeze on the beef after slicing. The smokey flavor will moderate the sweet. The red pepper brings the entire dish into balance. An outstanding — and fast — summer cookout dish. You could even forgo the fennel seed and marinate with diced fennel bulb. Reserve some fennel bulb for the grill, then serve it with the grilled oranges and a little rosemary olive oil. THAT is an impressive plate of food.
2.) Slow-cooked, pulled chicken: Toss frozen chicken breasts in a slow-cooker if you’re cooking all-day, or use your dutch oven of choice for a 40-minute simmer of fresh chicken breasts. Use whole or ground fennel seed, fresh rosemary, garlic, onion, red pepper, salt, pepper and olive oil. Squeeze fresh orange juice in the pot and toss in one or two halved oranges. Cook until chicken is tender, then pull with a fork.
3.) Oven-roasted pork loin:  Mix orange zest, ground fennel, rosemary, salt and pepper with olive oil and coat pork loin before baking.

You could, of course, switch things up and slow cook your beef or pork, grill your chicken, etc. Try this flavor combination when you need a new twist on dinner, using your favorite cooking method of choice, and let us know how things turned out in the comments below!

Founding Farmers, DC

Founding Farmers is kind of place that lefties like me love to support. It advertises itself as a restaurant owned by a collective of independent farmers dedicated to sustainable agriculture. “Collective,” “Independent:” My left-libertarian heart just swelled and burst. Whisper “sustainable,” and I’m reanimated.

Inside this location on the corner of 19th and Penn lies a hip, crowded, and easy on the eyes eatery. Word to the wise: make reservations.
Founding Farmers Menu
I came here on Sunday with my imaginary Che beret and upturned fork piercing the sky knowing full well what I was going to have for the first time: chicken and waffles. It’s one of those food combinations that either intrigues you or causes the gag reflex to kick in. I thought it was a quintessentially Southern cuisine but recently discovered, via chef Marcus Samuelson’s Food Network special, “Savoring Harlem,” that its roots are in Upper Manhattan.

But first things first: when you go to brunch, you need alcohol, so I ordered a $12 Bloody Mary that was pretty damn good. I asked for it spicy and it came with a beautiful crust of red-hot seasoning spooning the rim of the glass. My only complaint is if you take a drag from the straw, there’s an overwhelming cumin taste. Men shouldn’t drink from straws anyway, so take that plastic encumbrance and chuck it and wrap your maw around that spicy glass and suck down that sanguine juice. When everything mixes together, it’s perfect. But the most welcome surprise is that this Mary doesn’t come with an olive but a pickled string-bean, which is goddamn delicious. I’d eat a plate of these and I plan on making some at home myself.
Spicy Bloody Mary

Next came an order of FF’s fried green tomatoes. They were thick, crisp, and tart, but lacked seasoning. A little cayenne and chile powder gracing the batter would make a world of difference here. But they did come with, I believe, a greenish aioli that was delicious. (They also came with a white cream cheesy concoction that I loathed, but I detest almost all cheeses. My wife, however, thought it was good.)
Fried Green Tomatoes
But let’s get to the chicken and waffles. They came with eggs, but that’s besides the point. The most surprising thing is how the textures of the fried chicken and waffle work together. Both have a crispy shell and a chewy center and eaten together, slathered with sausage gravy, they are pure heaven. As I stuffed the odd combination into my greedy rot, I thought: “I can’t believe how good this is.” And then I was even more surprised to discover that maple syrup dribbled over the chicken and waffle is just as good. If it’s 2am and I’m drunk and hungry, I would sprout hair and grow a snout to devour this.
Chicken and Waffles
And on this particular Sunday, my wife and I and all the diners lining the 19th St. window got an unintended street performance from a homeless man–clearly mentally ill and suffering from some sort of OCD–who loved himself repeatedly over his sweatpants. It was one of those moments where you first smirk and laugh because you’re uncomfortable, which turns into pity, and then a realization of how lucky you are and how shitty you feel because you tried to make light of it.

Dining does that to you sometimes. You get class slapped across your face and a lot of time it doesn’t feel good. But it does make you realize that when you share a good meal with your wife, while your son drinks his bottle resting on your lap, that your petty problems are just that: petty.

All this edification and self-actualization for $71.50, which is pretty reasonable around these parts when you throw alcohol into the mix.

(And if you’re wondering, my wife had Eggs Benedict and a glass of white wine. We also “shared” a cocktail she didn’t like. She drove home.)