Fennel Gratin

This fennel gratin is easy and quick to make and only requires 4 ingredients. Serve as a side with roast or grilled meats, seafood or as a delicious dip.

This fennel gratin is cooked in a pan and perfectly paired with the nutty and intensely rich flavour of Parmesan cheese. Serve as a side or as a dip!

The Florence fennel is a crisp vegetable that can be sautéed, grilled, roasted or eaten raw.  It’s aniseed flavour can transform a salad or perfectly compliment a fish dish.

In this recipe, fennel is cooked in a pan, where the flavours mellow, and are perfectly paired with the nutty and intensely rich flavour of the Parmesan cheese.

How is fennel used?

Fennel grows wild throughout Italy and both the bulb and dried fennel seeds are used a great deal in Italian cuisine.

The bulb is often sliced very thinly into a salad (adding a delightful anise flavour and a lovely fresh crunch), its herbs sprinkled over fish as a garnish, or the dried seeds are used in cured and cooked meats.

While raw fennel is crunchy with a fresh, sweet anise-like flavour, braising/baking makes it tender and sweeter (similar to cooking carrots). The anise and lemon flavours make it an excellent accompaniment to fish or fatty foods.

How to cut it

• First wash the fennel.
• Slice off the frilly fronds from each bulb, but do not throw these away as they make an excellent garnish.
• Slice the bulb vertically down the middle.
• Cut out the hard core at the bottom of the bulb.
• Thinly slice the fennel vertically or horizontally.

Only 3 steps

1. Place the sliced fennel in a medium skillet with 2 or 3 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with salt, cover pan and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally and allow to caramelize to a light golden colour.
2. Add cream or milk, raise heat to boil, then cover and simmer on low for 5 or 10 minutes, till tender.
3. Add 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, and mix well. Place in oven dish and grill till golden brown.

Serving

Serve warm as a side or as a main course with warm bread.

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Recipe

Fennel Gratin

Nicole Shroff

This Fennel Gratin is easy and quick to make and only requires 4 ingredients. Serve as a side with roast or grilled meats, seafood or as a delicious dip.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Side

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 132 kcal

Ingredients

• ▢ fennel bulbs 2
• ▢ butter - unsalted 3 tablespoons
• ▢ salt 1 teaspoon
• ▢ Parmesan cheese - grated 1 tablespoon
• ▢ milk - or full fat cream 100 ml

Instructions

 

• ▢
  Preheat oven to 180℃fan/350℉. Grease a 9 inch or 22 cm square/round baking dish.
• ▢
  Cut fronds off 2 fennel bulbs* and slice away root end. Wash, halve and slice the bulbs finely.
• ▢
  Place the sliced fennel in a medium skillet with 3 tablespoons butterprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt Cover pan and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally till the fennel begins to caramelize becoming a light golden colour.
• ▢
  Add 100 ml milk, turn up heat to bring the milk to almost boiling, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 or 10 minutes or till tender.
• ▢
  Stir in 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and mix well. Spoon into the oven dish and grill till golden brown. Serve warm as a dip or side.

Notes

*Slice off the frilly fronds from each bulb, but do not throw these away as they make an excellent garnish.

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 132kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 740mgPotassium: 527mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 471IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is calculated automatically per serving and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

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