Crispy Pan-Roasted Fennel Potatoes
1 1/2 lb. Waxy potatoes, peeled, boiled and rinsed
1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced, the green chopped, for the topping
1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds
olive oil
sea salt
black peppercorns, crushed in a mortar
Let the potatoes cool and dry on a wire rack for at least 1 hour or a day and cut them into thick slices. In a large heavy pan, heat a generous splash of olive oil and fry the potatoes on medium-high for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Cook them in batches and turn them one by one with a fork to keep their shape. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a splash of olive oil in another pan and cook the fennel seeds on medium heat for 1 minute (they shouldn’t get dark). Pull the pan off the heat, take just the seeds out with a tablespoon and set them aside. Put the pan back on and add the fennel slices, sauté them on medium for about 1 minute on each side without getting dark, they should be al dente. Gently mix the roasted potatoes, fennel seeds and slices in the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste, serve immediately.