Cooks should have a whole lot of respect for fennel. According to Greek mythology, Prometheus used a large stalk of fennel to carry fire from Mount Olympus to earth.
But, alas, while fennel is a popular ingredient in Italian and Indian cuisines, it is not used that often in American cooking. Our loss.
That could change. Italy and India remain the world’s major fennel growers but California is now a major fennel producer, too. Trader Joe’s now carries fresh fennel as do most major supermarkets.
Fennel is available to us, people! We have no excuse not to up our game with this ingredient. Maybe fennel could be the vegetable for 2020–much the way cauliflower broke through a couple of years ago.
Why should you bother? First, fennel isn’t that exotic. It is, after all, a member of the same family as carrots and celery. Secondly, fennel is good for us. It is rich fiber and B vitamins. Finally, fennel tastes great and adds a firm and crunchy texture to foods we prepare. It’s a win win win!
This particular recipe is pretty wonderful. It is a gratin of fennel. I don’t know about you, but I’ve yet to meet a cheesy gratin that I don’t enjoy. In this case, this recipe’s warm anise flavor and generous use of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses make it a perfect stand-alone vegetarian main dish or a robust side dish served with meats. I’ve enjoyed it with a side of potatoes and I’m thinking that I may make the gratin with alternating layers of fennel and potatoes next time.
This is not Blue Cayenne’s first rodeo with fennel as an ingredient by the way. Just type fennel into the search bar on the right side of this page and you will find several delicious dishes including a beautiful Pea Soup with Fennel, a to-die-for Asparagus Soup with Fennel and Pernod (here), a Gorgonzola-baked Fennel and Cannellini Bean Salad and a White Bean Stew with Carrots, Fennel and Peas.
Here is the recipe for Fennel Gratin.
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 medium fennel bulbs (topped, a thin layer of the bulb's surface peeled with a vegetable peeler, and sliced into half-inch slices)
- Salt and pepper
- 5 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 t. fennel seeds (crushed)
- 3 garlic cloves (or more)
- 1/8 t. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 t. chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 pound sliced mozzarella
- 2 t. rosemary leaves
- 1/4 C. dry homemade bread crumbs (from French bread or sourdough--I used sourdough)
- 1/2 C. to 3/4 C. grated Parmesan (I used 3/4 C.)
- 2 T. chopped Italian parsley for garnish (or a mixture of parsley and fennel fronds)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a casserole dish by generously oiling it with olive oil.
- Prepare fennel. Cut off the feathery tops of the fennel. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off a thin layer of the fennel's surface skin. Next, make a triangle cut into the bottom of the bulb and remove the core. (Removing the core will keep the fennel in your gratin tender.) Slice the prepared fennel bulb into half inch thick slices. Heat a large pot of water to boiling and boil the fennel for 5 to 7 minutes until it is tender. Remove the fennel from the boiling water and drain. Pat the fennel dry. (I used my OXO salad spinner to drain and dry the fennel slices.) Arrange the fennel in a 1 1/2 to 2 inch layer in the oiled casserole dish.
- Combine 5 T. olive oil, the fennel seed and the garlic (smashed into a paste with a little salt), the pepper flakes and the chopped rosemary in a small bowl. Stir to combine or use a mortar and pestle to turn the mixture into a paste. (I made a paste.) Drizzle 2 T. of the mixture over the cooked fennel. Sprinkle the rosemary leaves over the fennel.
- Cover the fennel with slices of mozzarella. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of the mozzarella. Drizzle the remainder of the oil mixture over the gratin and top with grated Parmesan.
- Bake (uncovered) for 25 minutes. You want the top of the gratin to be a pretty golden brown. Watch the gratin carefully toward the end of the baking period. You don't want to burn the top.
- Cool the gratin a bit before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley or a combination of chopped parsley and chopped fennel fronds.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
This recipe is adapted from on that appears in David Tanis’ cookbook, Market Cooking. You can find the book here.
