Fennel Gratin with Gruyere and Lemon

By Marisa McClellan

You braise the fennel wedges in chicken stock and melted butter (it would entirely appropriate to replace some of the stock with wine, should you have a bottle open), and once they easily yield to the tip of a paring knife, you top them with a topping made from breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and lemon. Baked up in the useful and beautiful umber stoneware dish from Anolon, the finished dish is outrageously fragrant, lovely enough to share with company, and quite delicious.

  • Cuisine: French
  • Course: Entrée
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INGREDIENTS

Chicken Stock

Fennel bulbs

fresh flat-leaf parsley

freshly ground black pepper

garlic clove

Gruyere cheese

lemon

Melted butter

Salt

unseasoned bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/204°C. Trim away the stem ends of the fennel. Cut the bulb into wedges. Depending on how large the bulbs are, opt for quarters, sixths, or eighths. Arrange the fennel wedges in a 9 x 13-inch Baking Dish. Combine the chicken stock and 3 tablespoons of melted butter and pour it over the fennel. Season with salt and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
  2. Bake the fennel wedges for 45 to 50 minutes, until they are super tender. You should be able to poke the bit of core in each wedge with a paring knife and have the knife slide in easily.
  3. While the fennel cooks, make the topping. Combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and black pepper with the remaining melted butter and stir to combine. It should look like damp sand when you're finished. If it seems too wet, add a pinch more breadcrumbs to even it out.
  4. Leaving the pan uncovered, return it to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the topping nicely browned and your kitchen smells delicious.