Recipes › fennel bulb › Miso-Glazed Fennel Steaks with Sesame Soba Noodles
Miso-Glazed Fennel Steaks with Sesame Soba Noodles
Thick slabs of fennel are roasted until caramelised and sticky under a deeply savoury miso and mirin glaze, then served over cold sesame soba noodles with cucumber and spring onion. The fennel's anise sweetness plays brilliantly against the umami-rich glaze, and the whole thing comes together in under 30 minutes. It is the kind of weeknight dinner that feels far more considered than the effort involved.
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Ingredients
- 4 fennel bulbs, tough outer layer removed, fronds reserved, each bulb sliced top to bottom into 1.5cm steaks
- 3 tbsp white miso pastebrown miso works but gives a stronger, saltier result
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp soy sauceuse tamari for a gluten-free version
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 300 g soba noodlesrice noodles for a gluten-free version
- 1 cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scraped out, thinly sliced on an angle
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Contains: cereals gluten, sesame, soya, sulphites.
Method
- Heat the oven to 230°C (210°C fan). Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Mix the miso, mirin, soy sauce and neutral oil together in a small bowl until smooth — this is your glaze.About 2 min
- Lay the fennel steaks in a single layer on the prepared tray. Brush the glaze generously over both sides of each steak, making sure to coat the edges too. Slide the tray onto the top shelf of the oven and roast for 16–18 minutes, turning the steaks once halfway through, until the fennel is tender through the middle and the glaze is dark, sticky and caramelised at the edges.About 18 min
- While the fennel roasts, bring a large pot of unsalted water to the boil. Cook the soba noodles according to the packet instructions — usually 4–5 minutes. Drain immediately and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to stop the cooking and prevent sticking. Shake off as much water as you can.About 7 min
- In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, sesame oil, rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons of cold water until you have a smooth, pourable dressing. Taste and add a small pinch of salt if needed. Add the drained noodles, cucumber and most of the spring onion to the bowl and toss everything together until evenly coated.About 3 min
- Divide the sesame noodles between four bowls. Lay two or three fennel steaks over each portion. Scatter over the sesame seeds, the remaining spring onion, the reserved fennel fronds and chilli flakes if using. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Keep your fennel steaks thick — 1.5cm at minimum. Thinner slices will cook through too fast before the glaze has time to caramelise properly, and you want that sticky, slightly charred edge.
- Rinse the soba noodles really well under cold water after draining. Soba gets gluey fast if you skip this step, and the cold rinse also keeps the texture firm against the warm fennel.
- The fennel steaks are cut top to bottom through the root, which holds each slab together during cooking. If any thin outer pieces fall away, tuck them onto the tray anyway — they go wonderfully crispy.
Ring the changes
- Add 200g of firm tofu, cubed and pressed, to the baking tray alongside the fennel — brush it with the same glaze and it will be ready at the same time.
- Swap the soba for 300g of cooked brown rice if you want something more substantial and gluten-free without changing any other element.
Keeping it
The glazed fennel steaks keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and can be gently reheated in a dry frying pan or under the grill. Store the dressed noodles separately and consume within 1 day as the dressing is absorbed over time. Not suitable for freezing.
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