This Atlanta chef treats vegetables with reverence

On a visit to Greece, I found the seafood enchanting, but what impressed me most was the reverence for humble vegetables in each dish I ordered. At Kyma, I found the same veneration, this time with fennel.

Pano Karatassos uses techniques learned under chef Thomas Keller at the French Laundry to braise whole bulbs of fennel until they are soft. He halves them and sears them cut-side-down for a rich, brown caramelization of the sweet, anise-like member of the carrot family.

It’s an example of how to make a vegetable the star of a dish. When combined with a rich, white navy bean stew and pureed carrot, celery and onion, the charred veggie has a meat-like depth of flavor. The braising liquid adds a further savory punch to the hearty, homey white bean stew, which is brimming with aromatics, such as garlic and thyme.