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Fennel Gratin
Ingredients
  • 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
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a casserole dish by generously oiling it with olive oil.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Cool the gratin a bit before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley or a combination of chopped parsley and chopped fennel fronds.