Fennel Gratin
Fennel is one of my favorite vegetables and certainly tops for winter and up there among all Italian specialty vegetables. This recipes takes the natural sweetness, tops it with gooey cheese sauce, and bakes it with a seasoned breadcrumb finish. Did someone say “comfort food?”
Yes, fennel has flavor notes of licorice. But the double-cooking here tempers that quite a bit.
Serves 4 (or less, if served as a vegetarian main)
INGREDIENTS
Braising
4 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into semi-thin wedges
top to bottom
2 oz cold butter, cut into pieces
Salt per taste
Enough water to come about ½ inch up the side of the pan
Gratin
4 oz freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino
1 cup (or more) besciamella* (béchamel sauce)
A few dabs more butter, or sub with a drizzle of olive oil
1 ½ to 2 Tbs bread crumbs
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
¼ tsp fresh oregano leaves
.
DIRECTIONS
Add the fennel wedges to a large sauté pan, large enough to hold them in one or two layers, and then add the salt, butter, and water.
Cover the pan and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes (a bit more if cut into wedges) until the fennel is very tender and reduced in size, and the liquid has almost evaporated. If the fennel cooks before the liquid has evaporated, uncover it and cook off the excess over a high flame. Let the fennel cool.
Arrange the fennel neatly in a greased gratin dish, in alternating layers of fennel and grated cheese (and bechamel if using), ending with cheese. (Add any remaining liquid in the pan to the dish just before adding the final layer of béchamel and cheese.) Top with dabs of butter.
Mix the breadcrumbs, salt, black pepper, and oregano and sprinkle it all over the fennel.
Bake the dish at 400°F for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the top has formed a nice light golden crust.
Let the gratin cool for a few minutes, then serve.
* NOTE: An Italian besciamella starts with a basic béchamel (a roux of butter and flour plus milk) and then adds a pinch of nutmeg plus a bit of grated cheese such as Pecorino or parmesan. With the addition of cheese, this is no longer a sauce béchamel but is now technically, a sauce mornay.
© Copyright, Joe Seals, 2025