Instructions: Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add fennel, celery root, carrot, garlic and star anise and cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook 1 minute, stirring to scrape up flavorful bits stuck to skillet. Set fish on top of vegetables, add water and cover pan. Put pan in oven and bake until fish is just cooked through, 6 to 9 minutes, depending on thickness of fish pieces. Take pan from oven and use slotted spatula to transfer fish to warm plate. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Add cucumber, tomato and apple to skillet, bring to boil and boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add spinach, extra-virgin olive oil and cayenne, with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, just until spinach wilts, about 1 minute.

Spoon vegetables and braising liquid into 4 shallow soup bowls or rimmed plates and arrange fish on top. Set a piece of star anise on top of each fish fillet, sprinkle parsley and chives over all and serve right away.

Note: Star anise is available in Asian markets or on the spice aisle of large supermarkets.

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