Fennel gratin

Name: Fennel gratin
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 6

Gratins are pure comfort food. In this dish fennel's aniseed notes are mellowed in the cream. It's a gratin that goes wonderfully with pan-fried fish or roasted beef, or just with a salad and some bread for a simpler meal.

Mar 30, 2016 1:40am

By Lisa Featherby

Serves 6
15 mins preparation
45 mins cooking

Fennel gratin

Ingredients

60 ml olive oil (¼ cup)
3 fennel bulbs (about 350gm each), trimmed and thinly sliced
500 ml pouring cream (2 cups)
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 Desiree potatoes (400gm), peeled and sliced
80 gm parmesan, finely grated
60 gm semi-coarse crustless sourdough breadcrumbs

Method

Main

1
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add fennel in batches, season to taste, and fry until golden (6-8 minutes).
2
Preheat oven to 180C and butter a 2.5-litre baking dish. Bring cream and garlic to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add fennel and potato and return to a simmer, then transfer vegetables with a slotted spoon to prepared dish. Pour the cream over the top, scatter with two-thirds of the parmesan and bake until fennel and potato are tender when pierced with a knife (30-35 minutes).
3
Preheat grill to high. Combine remaining oil and remaining parmesan with breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Scatter breadcrumbs over fennel and potato and grill until golden and crunchy on top (6-7 minutes). Stand for 5 minutes, then serve.