Your Next Great Potato Dish Is Fennel

Credit: Amanda Blum

People often don’t know what to do with fennel. It’s delicious raw, shaved in salads and slaws, but a little time in the oven transforms fennel into a silky, delicious vegetable with a much milder anise flavor than the raw stuff. And when you add cream, butter, and cheese, fennel is transformed into a decadent, comforting side dish that might make you skip the potatoes altogether. Just to up the ante, this fennel gratin recipe is topped with fresh, chunky breadcrumbs that become golden in the oven for a crispy crunch that contrasts against the creamy gratin below. Best of all, the whole dish comes together quickly and spends most of the total time hanging out in the oven. 

Prep your fennel and leeks

Fennel tastes very different from cabbage, but grows quite similarly. It has a core and that core has got to go. If your fennel came with stalks and fronds, cut those off and use them elsewhere. (A lot of markets cut them off for you, selling just the bulbs.) Slice the bulb in half the long way, and then use a V cut to notch out the core. Then lay the half, cut side down, on the cutting board and cut thin slices of fennel, ½ inch thick. You can also use a mandolin for this, but not on the thinest setting. Layer the fennel slices in a baking dish. Try to get them as close to each other as you can. 

Next, cut off the greenest part of the leek, leaving the white and pale green portion. Now slice the leek in half and wash it well. The layers of leeks tend to hide a lot of dirt. Once it’s clean, slice into long pieces, three to four inches long, and ½ inch wide. Break apart the leek and layer it on top of the fennel. 

Make a creamy, cheese sauce

On the stovetop, put your butter, cream, cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper into a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring with a whisk. Ensure the cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Add your stock (chicken or vegetable stock work equally well, so feel free to choose whichever you prefer) and allow the mixture to come to a simmer, still stirring. 

Once at a simmer, pour the mixture over the fennel and leeks. Cover the pan with tin foil and put it into a 400°F oven on a middle rack for 30 minutes. 

Make some breadcrumbs

You can absolutely use store bought breadcrumbs for this if you lack a food processor, but making your own will give the breadcrumbs a chunky and ragged texture that really add to this dish. To make them yourself, take any stale bread, whether a baguette or loaf, and use your hands to break it into smaller pieces and then place in your food processor. Pulse the processor rather than let it run so it doesn’t make a homogenous dust. Dump the crumbs into a bowl, toss with a little olive oil, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Top the gratin

After 30 minutes, take the tin foil off the gratin and gently layer the breadcrumbs on top as evenly as you can. Return the gratin to the oven for 10 minutes, but leave your oven light on and check for browning on top. Depending on your individual oven, this step may take less time, so keep an eye on it to prevent the top from burning.

Fennel Gratin With Crispy Breadcrumb Topping Recipe

Ingredients

3 bulbs fennel

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 leek

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup grated parmesan

1 cup breadcrumbs or stale bread

Core the fennel and then cut into ½ inch slices. Layer the slices in an oven safe pan as closely as possible. 

Wash the leek and then cut into long strips, three-to-four inches by ½-inch, and then layer on top of the fennel. 

Combine the cream, butter, cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Add stock, stir, and bring to a simmer. 

Pour the mixture over the fennel and leeks. Cover pan with tin foil and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes. 

While baking, prepare the breadcrumbs by using a food processor to grind stale bread. Pulse the processor so you get irregular sized crumbs.

Toss the breadcrumbs with the olive oil and the rest of the salt and pepper. 

After 30 minutes, take the tin foil off and evenly top the gratin with the breadcrumbs. Return the gratin to the oven, uncovered for 10 minutes, but check every minute or two for browning. Once the breadcrumbs are golden brown, remove the gratin from the oven.