Candied fennel

This may sound like a strange combination, but works beautifully.

You will need:
Granita:
90g natural yoghurt
55g dill tea
40g sugar
2g lemon juice
Candied fennel:
Fennel bulb
100ml water
100g caster sugar
Crumble:
200g oats
100g flakes almonds
80g-100g butter
1 tablespoon of sugar
Mousse:
2 egg whites
60g white chocolate
1/2 tablespoon of almond extract

Serves 2

Dill & Yoghurt granita:
Pour the tea into a pan on a medium heat, add caster sugar and heat it gently
Next, get the yoghurt ready in a bowl, and add the lemon juice
Then add the dill tea
Mix thoroughly together, then pour onto a plate or baking tray lined with cling film and freeze for 2 to 3 hours

Candied fennel:
Start by creating a sugar solution, simply by dissolving sugar in water
Once the sugar is about halfway dissolved, add the fennel slices and leave for 20-30 minutes
Transfer to a baking tray and bake at 100C for 2 hours

Crumble:
Bring the ingredients together with your hands, adding more oats if it’s too sticky
Spread on a baking tray and bake at 200 degrees centigrade for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it reaches a deep golden brown colour. It will naturally spread itself across the baking sheet as the butter melts.
Leave to cool – the crumble needn’t be hot for service, so it can be made well in advance and stored up in an airtight container

White chocolate and almond mousse:
Melt the white chocolate over a very low heat or a bain marie, adding half a tablespoon of almond extract
Leave to cool for a couple of minutes while you whisk up the egg whites to make the mousse
Start at a slow speed and gradually build up to full speed
Because this won’t be cooked, we recommend using pasteurised egg whites
Keep whisking – you’re looking for a thick, uniform consistency with a white glossy finish, with no liquid forming when you tilt the bowl and only a slight movement in the egg white
Add a small amount to the white chocolate – about a large spoonful – and mix together, just to start loosening the chocolate
Gradually add the rest – in two or three increments or more, depending on how much mousse you are making
That’s it – it just needs a couple of hours to set in the fridge – covered with cling film

Enjoy!