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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers Dips Sauces

    Fennel Gratin

    Published Jan 25, 2017, modified Mar 6, 2021 by Nicole Shroff / This site uses cookies. See the privacy policy linked in my footer. This site generates income via ads/ 10 Comments /

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    Pin image fennel and gratin with text overlay

    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.

    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.

    How to use fennel

    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.

    Why this works

    The 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 to cut fennel

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

    How to make it

    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.

    How to serve

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

    More Dips & Sauces recipes


    ⭐️ Are you making this recipe? Do let me know how it turned out in the comments! And please give it a star rating below!

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    gratin in round dish cooling on a wooden tray

    Fennel Gratin or Dip

    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 2 votes
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    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Side
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 263 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 fennel bulbs
    • 3 tablespoons butter
    • salt to taste
    • 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese grated
    • 100 milliliters milk or full fat cream

    Instructions
     

    • Cut fronds off the fennel bulbs* and slice away root end. Wash, halve and slice the bulbs finely.
    • 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.
    • Add cream or milk, raise heat to boil, then cover and simmer on low for 5 or 10 minutes, till tender.
    • Add 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, and mix well. Place in oven dish and grill till golden brown. Serve warm as a side.

    Notes

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

    MEASUREMENT NOTES

    The ingredients here on EOTF are set out in grams & milliliters and in US cups & spoons.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 263kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 6gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 333mgPotassium: 1035mgFiber: 7gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 919IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 206mgIron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe? I'd love to know how it turned out! Let me know by leaving a review below, or snap a photo and share it on Instagram tagging me @Endofthefork.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rezel Kealoha

      October 25, 2017 at 9:03 pm

      5 stars
      What a great idea! I never thought to make it into a gratin!

      Reply
      • Nicole

        October 25, 2017 at 9:16 pm

        Thanks Rezel, this one is my mother’s recipe 🙂

        Reply
    2. NicoleShillings

      May 15, 2017 at 11:57 am

      Oh wow! This sounds so decadent! I love fennel. We eat quite a lot of it. I’ll have to give this a try!

      Reply
    3. The FoodOlic

      May 05, 2017 at 11:52 am

      I like to learn about new flavours! I’m not so used to fennel but this sounds great. I do know it’s taste raw which I enjoy in “small” amounts but now I’m intrigued about cooking it! And what better wait then making a gratin with it! Yum!

      Reply
    4. Pretty Patel

      March 19, 2017 at 12:04 pm

      I love fennel and this gratin looks so good. I need to try this dish as I have some fennel in my fridge!

      Reply
    5. Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours

      February 22, 2017 at 12:32 pm

      Fennel is such a wonderful vegetable to cook with; and I love that you don’t need many ingredients to make a simple and delicious dish. I’d be happy with a serving of just this on my plate.

      Reply
    6. Deanna Samaan

      February 22, 2017 at 12:26 pm

      This looks so yummy!!!

      Reply
    7. Renz

      February 22, 2017 at 12:05 pm

      Love that this dish is quick and easy to make. Perfect weeknight dinner.

      Reply
    8. Cristie - Little Big H

      February 22, 2017 at 11:54 am

      I’m a big fan of fennel so I already know that I will love this. Love the simplify of it.

      Reply
    9. Luci {Luci's Morsels}

      February 22, 2017 at 3:31 am

      Yum! This looks delicious. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

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