I’ve been on an ouzo kick lately. It’s been a long time since I’ve indulged in Greece’s national liqueur. My earliest memories included drinking it with coca cola in nightclubs and that’s when I had fashionably long hair! Many years have passed since then and now I simply enjoy sipping it at the end of a meal. I adore the flavour of aniseed and licorice but I also understand a lot of people don’t find that taste pleasant. Which brings me to fennel. I also love it’s distinct anise flavour. It’s great when it’s simply shaved and served in an easy salad with Parmesan and some lemon vinaigrette. But it’s even better when it cooks and takes on a sweet flavour.
In an attempt to experiment, I decided to blend the flavours of ouzo and fennel together in this wonderful “relish” of sorts. If you’re like me then you won’t be afraid to use some adjectives to describe the outcome of this experiment. Magical. Tasty. Addictive! You get the idea! This was a real winner and didn’t last very long in the house. It’s very easy to prepare and the most important thing you’ll need is a little patience. Using my trusty mandoline, I thinly sliced three fennel bulbs along with one red onion. I placed these in a non reactive pot along with a splash of olive oil, two tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/4 of a cup of cider vinegar and two good “splashes” of ouzo. Stir thoroughly over a very low heat and leave it. It should take a good hour to caramlelise and turn a nice rich dark colour. I stored it in some sterilised jam jars- please refer to here on how to sterilise jam jars.
Serve it over crusty sourdough, in sandwiches or with a good lamb rack roast. Go on! You’ll love it.
Hi! I'm Peter. Welcome to Souvlaki For The Soul. My "little" space on the web. My blog is choc full of recipes, travel stories and photos. Have a good look around and enjoy your time here. Cheers!
I love the taste of ouzo, although I don’t drink it often and I am in love with fennel bulb, fennel seeds or fennel fronds. This is the first time I’ve seen caramelized fennel bulb and I know I will love it. I have bookmarked it.
Love lurve LOVE this! Perfect balance of sweet and sour.
wow what an innovative idea. haven’t always been a fan of ouzo but very intrigued by the idea of using it in a relish!
love the plating too. gorgeous
Looks like the perfect marriage! I’m a big fan of the flavor of anise/fennel and I look forward to trying this.
I’m on a fennel kick too and I’ve been grilling it alot this summer. I’ve always enjoyed anise and Ouzo and now I’m enjoying Tsipouro evening more so.
The jam sounds like a perfect pairing for grilled lamb.
i would call this a kind of greek chutney – well done
Sounds like we were both having fennel on our mind today! I just finished my fennelrisotto which was delicious!
I have always liked ouzo a lot, but strangely enough I don’t like it when I am at home. For years we drank ouzo on holiday in Greece and always took a bottle with us going back home, but it’s just not the same. For me ouzo is at it’s best while in Greece! However; this relish of yours looks absolutely wonderful and yes, even magical…:)
Love coming here and looking at your gorgeous pictures.
we would be treated to ouzo quite lavishly when our friend went for international travels..treated in tilted shot glasses.. I miss the real deal now.
Sounds incredibly delicious! Love that first picture of the fennel too.
that sounds amazingly good!!! Or should I say, “Impeccable!”
Stunning photos as always… GO POH! 
Sounds lovely.Caramelised fennel is delicious and would be really nice as a relish.Gorgeous photos as usual.
wow, delicious! how long do you think you can keep it fresh?
Oh fennel is one of my favourite vegetables, although I only fell in love with it about 1.5 years ago. That sourdough looks delectable. I often use onions, but I actually never thought of fennel. I must try it next time.
My family actually love Ouzo and many years ago my Father got a hold of a 20 gallon drum of OP Ouzo from a friend of his brother who kind of ‘got it off the back of a truck’ from the company. I think we still have it today as it is extremely potent and you can only have the littlest amount.
Roasting allows fennel to take on a whole new meaning Peter.Love your photos. On another note my dad sent me a new camera (new to me) so we will see what it can do:D
Wow, Peter, this looks great. We usually eat fennel raw with olive oil and vinegar, as is the custom in Rome. But I have seen several recipes lately that call for cooking it, and I bet it is awesome this way! Caramelized onions are one of my favorite things on this planet, so I am definately going to try doing fennel this way!
This is such an original recipe! Thanks for sharing!
I can only imagine what a great flavor combo this is! I am certainly going to give this a try.
Fennel is a vegetable I’ve managed to avoid for so long that I’m intimidated to start using it. This looks like a great place to start, though.
this recipe sounds simple & great. i miss that anise flavor in a lot of things and really love the use of fennel more & more. i love the copper (?) plate in the last few shots…reminds me of the pots & dishes i grew up around.
I’ve never had ouzo, but I’m pretty sure I would love this relish. I like fennel, licorice -type flavors. I think this was a fantastic idea. I don’t know about coke and ouzo, though. *Shudder*
Gorgeous and inspired! Yes it’s be perfect with a roast lamb sandwich.
I am trying to imagine you with fashionable long hair. Now that’s something I want to see, hehe. You could send me a jar of that relish along with a picture from those wild days :-p
What a crisp light you’ve got on the fennel bulbs up there, P. Love that! I’ve never cooked fennel bulbs before, while I see a lot of them growing on the side of the road. It seems noone has ever paid attention on that bulbs.
it’s all about the caramelised, almost compote-y fennel for me too! A splash of ouzo would certainly add another dimension to this dish! Can’t wait to try it. It seems like a great adition to a cheese & cracker table!
fennel is an all time favorite of mine – I love what you have done with it here. Never thought of turning it into a relish – gonna have to try this.
Jaw dropping photos mate
I can’t say I’m a big fan of sipping ouzo, but I love it when it’s used to flambee haloumi. I bet it tasted great in this relish. Love how caramelized you got it!
I think this must taste divine! Big fan of anything anise-y, so Im sure I’d love this!! Must try making this at home once,!!Keep the ouzo-experimentation going, lots of interesting things showing up on your blog!!
Fennel AND ouzo! A veritable anis lovers paradise
Just wanted to let you know I made this tonight (substituted red wine for ouzo) to have with Italian sausages! It was WONDERFUL!!!
looks amazing, must try to make it this weekend
Caramelized fennel is a favorite of mine. Glad to see another way (even better) to prepare it. Also great to meet up at food buzz festival. A highlight.
Question: How do you use this?
I guess I would use it as a starter, to spread over a slice of bread, in place of a dip.
Or, I could use it as a side garnish to certain plates – which tastes do you think this relish would go along well?
Thanks so much …this goes absolutely fab.with Octopus on a bed of hot noodle pasta with melted parmasan cheese and garlic bread…yum yum !!
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