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
- 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.
How to serve
Serve warm as a side or as a main course with warm bread.
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Fennel Gratin or Dip
Ingredients
- 2 fennel bulbs
- 3 tablespoons butter
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese grated
- 100 ml 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.
Rezel Kealoha
What a great idea! I never thought to make it into a gratin!
Nicole
Thanks Rezel, this one is my mother’s recipe 🙂
NicoleShillings
Oh wow! This sounds so decadent! I love fennel. We eat quite a lot of it. I’ll have to give this a try!
The FoodOlic
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!
Pretty Patel
I love fennel and this gratin looks so good. I need to try this dish as I have some fennel in my fridge!
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours
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.
Deanna Samaan
This looks so yummy!!!
Renz
Love that this dish is quick and easy to make. Perfect weeknight dinner.
Cristie - Little Big H
I’m a big fan of fennel so I already know that I will love this. Love the simplify of it.
Luci {Luci's Morsels}
Yum! This looks delicious. Thanks for sharing!