Shrimp with Fennel & Garlic

I'm back and sharing a recipe. I didn't mean to take such a long break from posting, but I never expected for jet lag to affect me so much. Instead of getting back home to go over the photos of my trip, I decided to welcome September with a pre-fall house cleaning - cleaning out and re-organizing the pantry, scrubbing the kitchen cabinets, among other chores. It felt good to get the house back in order. And I realized I should be doing this every end of summer before the new school year and the holiday entertaining hustle  begins. Now I know exactly what I have in my pantry and I can get a list started of what all I need for the entertaining season. And I can't believe I'm talking about holiday entertaining! The cooler months are my favorite time to entertain and I'll use any holiday excuse to have good company over and open a bottle of wine. And speaking of entertaining, this recipe is great for that. Add some spaghetti noodles to it and the recipe really grows from 3 servings to about 6.This dish is simple, can easily be modified to a healthier version, and it's full of flavor. It's also a great transition dish from summer to fall, if there's such a thing. If you want you could serve it with your choice of grain or under a bed of pasta noodles. The first time I ate it with a slice of French baguette, but on the next day I used the leftovers with some spaghetti noodles and it was so good. And the reason you see two forks in the pictures is because this was meant to be shared.I had a bottle of rosé in the refrigerator when I made this, but I think a buttery Chardonnay would be better. Enjoy!Shrimp with Fennel & Garlic6 tablespoons good olive oil1 cup chopped fennel bulb, fronds reserved3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes1 pound (16- to 20-count) shrimp, peeled with tails on1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley1 tablespoon Pernod (optional)1 teaspoon fleur de sel1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperFrench bread or spaghetti noodles, for servingHeat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the fennel and saute for 5 minutes, until tender but not browned. Turn the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook at a very low sizzle for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic just begins to color.Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, add them to the pan, and toss together with the fennel and olive oil. Spread the shrimp in one layer and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes on one side. Turn the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on the other side, until theyre pink and just cooked through.Off the heat, sprinkle with the parsley, 1 tablespoon of chopped fennel fronds, the Pernod (if using), the fleur de sel, and black pepper and serve it with bread to soak up all the pan juices.Recipe adapted from Food Network