Serves 6-8
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 heads of fennel, cleaned, fronds removed and cut into 6 or 8 wedges
Salt & pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 sheet puff pastry
3-4 oz Point Reyes Fennel Blue, crumbled
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, then fennel wedges. You might need to do this in batches. Brown fennel on both sides, seasoning with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and remove fennel from pan.
Add butter to pan. Next, drizzle honey into pan, followed by fennel seeds and thyme. Add the fennel wedges back into the pan, cut sides down.
Cut puff pastry into a circle a little larger than the pan. Place pastry on top of fennel. Tuck under any excess pastry. Pierce pastry with a knife in several spots.
Cook for 25-35 minutes, until pastry is golden brown. Remove pan from oven. Using a butter knife, go around the edges of the pan to loosen the pastry edges. Carefully turn tart out onto a serving board.
Top with Fennel Blue and fennel fronds. Serve warm or at room temp.
