Rice With Fennel and Olives

• 3/4 cup long grain rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 8 ounces whole red onion or 7 ounces chopped, ready-cut red onion (1 2/3 cups)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 pound fennel to yield 1 cup chopped fennel
• 10 small oil-cured black olives
• 18 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine rice, water and fennel seed, and bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer, cooking a total of 17 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
2. Chop whole onion.
3. Heat a medium nonstick skillet until it is very hot, reduce the heat to medium high, add oil and saute onion until it softens and browns.
4. Meanwhile, trim stalks from fennel, remove tough outer layer from bulb and cut fennel into julienne strips.
5. Add to onion as it browns, and continue cooking.
6. Pit the olives; then, add to the onion and fennel and continue cooking until the rice is done.
7. Stir the rice into the onion and fennel, season with salt and pepper and serve.

long grain rice, water, fennel seed, red onion, olive oil, fennel, black olives, salt, freshly ground black pepper

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7747 (may not work)