Braised fennel au gratin is a classic French dish that is both elegant and easy to make. It features tender fennel braised in a flavorful broth, then topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and grated cheese and baked until golden brown. The result is a dish that is both comforting and sophisticated, perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. With just a few simple ingredients and a little time, you can create a delicious and memorable meal that will impress your family and friends.
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FENNEL GRATIN
This rich, elegant gratin, adapted from the chef Naomi Pomeroy's book "Taste and Technique," brings together braised fennel, Gruyère sauce and crisp bread crumbs, with outrageously delicious results. As with many recipes in this highly instructive book, this gratin is more labor intensive than what you may expect - coarse bread crumbs are toasted and shattered just so - but every component is key to the final dish. A lot happens simultaneously, so breathe deep, and be sure to prep your ingredients before beginning, and carefully read through the recipe to the end (a good practice always). If you'd like to get a head start, the bread crumbs may be toasted and stored at room temperature; the fennel and cheese sauce can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated, separately, until you are ready to assemble, bake and serve. It's ideal for entertaining.
Provided by Christine Muhlke
Categories side dish
Time 2h30m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 22
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 AU GRATIN
Here's a lovely variation on traditional potatoes au gratin. Rich and buttery, this baked side dish has just the right amount of fennel flavor. -Sue Kauffman, Columbia City, Indiana
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Side Dishes
Time 55m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 8
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 215 calories, Fat 19g fat (12g saturated fat), Cholesterol 64mg cholesterol, Sodium 271mg sodium, Carbohydrate 7g carbohydrate (0 sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 4g protein.
FENNEL GRATIN
This is sort of the grilled steak of vegetable sides: it's rich and intense, and needs a wine that can stand up to it. The cheese and cream let the cabernet's tannins do the heavy lifting; the slight vegetal note of the fennel brings out the wine's red fruit.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories side-dish
Time 1h15m
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add the fennel, Parmesan, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss to combine.
- 2. Whisk the mustard into the heavy cream and pour over the fennel mixture. Bake until bubbling and golden, about 1 hour.
BRAISED FENNEL
An easy Braised Fennel recipe
Categories Side Braise Quick & Easy Fennel Fall Gourmet Paleo Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Cut off and discard stalks from fennel bulbs, reserving fronds. Chop 1 tablespoon fronds and discard remainder. Cut bulbs lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, leaving core intact.
- Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown fennel slices well, turning over once, 3 to 4 minutes total.
- Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle fennel with salt and pepper, then add broth and water. Cook, covered, until fennel is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with fennel fronds.
FENNEL GRATIN
Bored with the same old side dishes? Fennel is the versatile ingredient with a slight aniseed flavour that goes gorgeously with fish
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Side dish, Supper, Vegetable
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and put a pan of salted water on to boil. Trim the fennel tops, then cut into wedges. Boil for 5-6 mins, then drain well. Arrange in an ovenproof dish, season and sprinkle with nutmeg. Stir the garlic into the cream and pour over the fennel. Top with the Parmesan, then bake for 20 mins until golden.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 320 calories, Fat 31 grams fat, SaturatedFat 17 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 4 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 3 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 7 grams protein, Sodium 0.56 milligram of sodium
SKILLET-BRAISED FENNEL
Fresh fennel, which has a strong anise flavor and crunchy texture when raw, becomes mellow and meltingly soft when braised.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Healthy Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Trim the tops of the fennel bulbs; cut bulbs in half lengthwise.
- Melt butter in a large iron skillet over medium heat. Add sugar and stir until melted. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add fennel, cut side down, and cook until well browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to let the fennel burn.
- Turn over bulbs and add orange juice, water, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover pan and cook until fennel is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 to 30 minutes. If the pan becomes dry during cooking, add a little more water. If any liquid is left at the end of the cooking time, continue to cook, uncovered, at medium heat until the liquid evaporates. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve immediately.
PARMESAN FENNEL GRATIN
Provided by Ina Garten
Categories side-dish
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
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.
BRAISED FENNEL WITH CARROTS AND POTATOES
The slightly aniseed taste of fennel is a great match with carrots and potatoes, so I combined them all in this original recipe. It's a real treat served as a side dish with roast pork and gravy!
Provided by Kookaburra
Categories Potato
Time 1h5m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cut the top off the fennel, reserving feathery leaves.
- Chop feathery leaves finely and reserve.
- Cut fennel into quarters, remove core and any tough outer layers, and slice finely.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven.
- Add garlic, fennel, carrots, onion and potato, together with ground fennel, salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the onions and fennel are beginning to soften and turn transparent.
- Add chicken stock, wine and fennel leaves and heat until simmering.
- Lower heat, cover and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes, or until carrots and potatoes are soft.
- Remove cover, increase heat and allow to boil briskly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato is broken down into an almost'mashed' consistency, but still with a little texture- the remaining liquid should be well thickened with the potato.
- Taste and add extra seasoning if required.
BRAISED FENNEL
This delicious braised fennel recipe is courtesy of Brad Farmerie and goes wonderfully with his Moroccan Braised Lamb Shanks.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dinner Recipes Dinner Side Dishes
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place orange juice, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, cumin, and lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl; whisk until well combined.
- Place fennel in a baking dish just large enough to fit fennel in an even layer; pour over orange juice mixture. Cover with parchment-paper-lined aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Bake for 35 minutes, uncover, and continue baking until fennel is golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove from oven; serve warm or at room temperature.
BRAISED FENNEL
Known more as a seasoning than as a meal, the bulb of the fennel can be turned into a flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth soft dish that will wow your guests.
Provided by Brian Genest
Time 55m
Yield 2
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Cut the green stalks from the top of the white fennel bulbs and cut the brown, round stump from the base. Cut fronds from stalks. Chop the fronds and set aside 2 tablespoons for serving. Cut bulbs in half 4 times, making 8 wedges out of each.
- Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add fennel wedges, flat-side down, and brown for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for about 2 minutes more. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds. Add wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let wine reduce by half. Pour in chicken broth and orange juice.
- Reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer until fennel is very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Plate fennel. Sprinkle with salt and garnish with orange zest and fennel fronds.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 278.2 calories, Carbohydrate 30.1 g, Cholesterol 33.6 mg, Fat 12.4 g, Fiber 9.6 g, Protein 4.6 g, SaturatedFat 7.3 g, Sodium 789 mg, Sugar 9.5 g
Tips:
- Choose the right fennel: Look for fennel bulbs that are firm and have no blemishes. The fronds should be bright green and fragrant.
- Trim the fennel: Cut off the root end and the tough outer layer of the fennel bulb. Then, cut the bulb into quarters or eighths, depending on the size of the bulb.
- Braising liquid: Use a flavorful liquid for braising the fennel, such as chicken broth, vegetable broth, or white wine. You can also add herbs, spices, or other vegetables to the braising liquid for extra flavor.
- Don't overcook the fennel: Fennel should be cooked until it is tender but still has a slight crunch. Overcooked fennel will become mushy.
- Make the gratin topping: While the fennel is braising, make the gratin topping by combining bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and butter. You can also add other ingredients to the topping, such as chopped nuts, herbs, or spices.
- Assemble the gratin: Place the braised fennel in a baking dish and top with the gratin topping. Bake the gratin until the topping is golden brown and bubbly.
Conclusion:
Braised fennel au gratin is a delicious and elegant dish that is perfect for any occasion. The fennel is braised in a flavorful liquid until it is tender and then topped with a cheesy gratin topping. The dish is then baked until the topping is golden brown and bubbly. Braised fennel au gratin is a great way to enjoy this healthy and flavorful vegetable.
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