Quick Dinner: Cod with Braised Fennel, Lemon, and Olives

Ingredients:

• 4 trout fillets weighing 170 g each, 2.5-4 cm thick.
• 2 large fennel roots
• 1/4 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 0.5 cups large pitted Kalamata olives

Preparation:

1. Trim the tops and bottoms of the fennel bulbs, reserving the greens for serving. Cut each bulb into quarters. Lay each quarter on its side and cut off most of the core. Cut the quarters into wedges about 2 cm thick. (It's okay if some pieces fall out—use them, too.)
2. Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Set over medium heat and heat until the oil is almost smoking. Add the fennel and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until a few more pieces are browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add 0.5 cups of water and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add 0.5 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Season the cod with salt and black pepper and place it on top of the fennel in the pan. Cover again and simmer over low heat, adding more liquid occasionally if the pan is dry, until the fennel is very tender and the cod is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, chop the reserved fennel greens (you should have about 1.5-2 tablespoons) and zest the lemon. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and let cool. Combine the fennel greens and lemon zest with the breadcrumbs, distributing all ingredients evenly.
6. Squeeze the lemon juice. Coarsely chop the olives.
   
   When the cod and fennel are cooked through, add the lemon juice and olives. Remove from the heat and let stand for about 1 minute to warm the olives. Divide the fennel and cod among plates and top with toasted breadcrumbs. Drizzle the fennel with any remaining pan juices.