Roast Fennel Bread Gratin Recipes

FENNEL GRATIN

Steps:

• Toast the bread crumbs: Heat oven to 250 degrees. Remove crust from bread and slice 1/4 inch thick, then tear slices into 1/2 inch pieces. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until completely dry and brittle, but without any color. Let cool, then break into roughly pebble-size pieces and place between 2 sheets of parchment paper or in a plastic bag. Gently roll a rolling pin across the surface several times until crumbs have a rustic texture - larger than a grain or rice but smaller than a pea. Measure 3/4 cup crumbs and set aside. (Reserve leftover crumbs for another purpose.)
• Meanwhile, prepare the fennel: Chop 3 tablespoons fronds and set aside. If you're using large bulbs, cut lengthwise into quarters; if you're using small bulbs, cut lengthwise in half. Leave base fully attached in both instances. Turn fennel pieces cut side up and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat your largest sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and butter. Then, working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add fennel cut side down and sear until deep chestnut brown, 2 to 3 minutes. If fennel is quartered, flip pieces to sear the other cut surface for 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer fennel to a large Dutch oven.
• Add stock and wine to Dutch oven, place over low heat, cover and simmer until fennel is fork-tender but not mushy, 20 to 25 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, place fennel neatly in a 9 by 13-inch broiler-proof baking dish and set aside.
• Prepare the bread crumb topping: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add bread crumbs, garlic paste, fennel pollen and pepper and cook, stirring often, until crumbs are pale gold, 2 to 3 minutes. Don't let them take on too much color. Remove pan from heat and stir in chopped fennel fronds.
• Make the cheese sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour. Whisk for about 1 minute, then add garlic paste. Whisk until flour begins to take on a pale gold color, 2 to 3 minutes; you want a shade between off-white and not quite beige.
• Gradually whisk in milk. Once all of the milk has been added, whisk vigorously until sauce is completely smooth; turn down heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking periodically to avoid scorching, until sauce fully thickens, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off heat, whisk in Gruyère, and season with salt and pepper. The sauce should be very thick.
• To assemble: Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Pour cheese sauce over fennel (very gently reheat sauce if cold), and sprinkle with Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until bubbling and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove gratin from oven and scatter bread crumb topping in an even layer across the top. Continue to bake until gratin takes on a deep golden hue, about 5 minutes. If it needs more color, place dish under the broiler for 1 minute, watching it very carefully to ensure nothing burns. Serve immediately.

FENNEL GRATIN

Steps:

• Wash the fennel, strip away the outer layer of leaves if they're tough, slice the bulbs into thin wedges, and boil them for 10 minutes in salted water.
• Drain them well and sauté them in the butter, adding the milk a few tablespoons at a time, and once you have added it all simmer for 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare the béchamel sauce and preheat oven to 400F.
• Butter an oven-proof dish, and when the fennel is done simmering transfer it to the dish.
• Dust the fennel with the grated cheese, pour the béchamel sauce over it, and bake the fennel for 20 minutes, or until it is lightly browned.
• Serve.

ROAST FENNEL & BREAD GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the fennel with the olive oil to coat it on a baking tray or in a gratin dish, adding a pinch of sea salt and the thyme leaves. Roast for 20 mins, tossing halfway through, until softened and caramelised.
• Meanwhile, tear the sourdough into chunks, tip into a bowl and pour over the milk and wine. Set aside. Combine the parmesan with the crème fraîche and season with salt, pepper and a little grated nutmeg.
• Once the fennel is roasted, remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. Add the soaked bread to the fennel, and mix together. Pour over the crème fraîche mixture and half the herbs, and stir to coat the bread and fennel. Grate over a little extra cheese, then bake for another 25-30 mins, or until golden, bubbling and crisp at the edges. Top with the remaining herbs.

PARMESAN FENNEL GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the stalks from each fennel bulb and discard. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise through the core. Remove most (but not all) of the core by cutting a V-shaped wedge, leaving the wedges intact. Cut each piece into 2, 3, or 4 wedges, depending on the size of the bulb. Arrange the wedges, cut side up, in a gratin dish just large enough to hold them snugly in a single layer. Pour the chicken stock and wine over the fennel, then sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper. Dot with the diced butter. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the fennel is tender. Remove from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, make the topping. Combine the melted butter, panko, Parmesan, parsley, zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle evenly on top and return to the oven. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until the topping is browned. Serve hot or warm.
• Note: The ingredient quantities were proportionally increased for this episode.

ROASTED FENNEL WITH PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the stems of the fennel and slice the bulb in half lengthwise. With the cut side down, slice the bulb vertically into 1/2-inch-thick slices, cutting right through the core. Spread the fennel slices on a baking sheet, coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss with your hands.
• Roast the fennel slices for about 1 hour, turning them once after 30 minutes, until the edges are crisp and brown. Remove from the oven and cover with Parmesan shavings. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

CHEDDAR FENNEL POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• In a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish, combine the potatoes and fennel; set aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add broth, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Layered a casserole dish with 1/2 potatoes slices and 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese and repeat.
• Pour over mixture; gently toss to coat potatoes. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

GRATIN OF FENNEL AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Cut the roots off the fennel. Discard the tough, stringy or discolored outer leaves. Chop the feathery leaves and set them aside to use as a garnish. Slice the bulbs lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick pieces and place them in a 2-quart saucepan. Add 3 cups of stock and the garlic, lemon juice and salt (if desired). Bring the broth to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the fennel slices and set them aside.
• Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Put them in the broth and, if necessary, add more stock or water if the broth has cooked down too far. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the potatoes just lose their crunch. Do not allow them to soften beyond this point. Lift the potatoes out of the pot and set them aside.
• Cook the broth over medium-high heat until it is reduced by a little more than half, to approximately 1 1/4 cups. Force the broth through a medium sieve into a bowl, using a spatula to push through the garlic cloves.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish or gratin dish with several spoonfuls of the strained broth. Make a layer of fennel and potatoes, arranging the slices so that fennel alternates with potato; use up all the fennel. Spoon on a little more broth and sprinkle with one-third of the Parmesan cheese and some freshly ground black pepper. Put the remaining potato slices on top - they should overlap slightly.
• Lightly press the potatoes with the palm of your hand so that the layer is even. Pour the remaining broth over the potatoes, grind pepper on top and sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes.
• While the gratin is baking, saute the bread crumbs in the butter until they are golden-brown. Five minutes before the gratin is done, sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top with about a tablespoon of the chopped fennel leaves. Let the dish cool slightly before serving.

FENNEL AU GRATIN

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 1 in. of water to a boil. Add fennel; cover and cook for 6-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and pat dry; place in a greased 11x7-in. baking dish., In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually add cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Gruyere cheese. Pour over fennel and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese., Cover and bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until golden brown and bubbly.

FENNEL GRATIN WITH PARMESAN BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place fennel in baking dish; drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Cover with foil; roast 45 to 50 minutes or until fennel is tender when pierced with paring knife.
• Meanwhile, in 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onions, salt and pepper flakes. Cook 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Add flour; stir 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Slowly stir in broth and cream. Heat to simmering; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until very thick.
• In small bowl, mix Topping ingredients. Pour onion mixture over fennel in baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over all. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until bread crumbs brown. Let stand 5 minutes at room temperature. Sprinkle some of the reserved fennel fronds over top.

FENNEL GRATIN WITH WALNUT-THYME BREADCRUMBS

Steps:

• Place rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Place fennel, onion, cream, butter, and 1 Tbsp. thyme in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to an 8x8" baking dish; bake until fennel is crisp-tender and cream is reduced by half, 30-35 minutes.
• While fennel is baking, combine breadcrumbs, walnuts, and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss until bread is evenly saturated and walnuts are coated. Add Parmesan and remaining 1 Tbsp. thyme and toss again to combine.
• Scatter breadcrumb mixture evenly over gratin and bake until breadcrumbs and walnuts are deep golden brown and fennel is tender, 12-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.