My next few recipes will involve cooking with one of my favourite vegetables, the fennel bulb. These are used a lot in Mediterranean dishes as it is indigenous to this region. It is from the carrot family and high in nutrition. This bulb is packed with B vitamins, Folate, vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium and Zinc. Fennel is crunchy and slightly sweet with a mild anise taste, making them a wonderful addition to certain recipes. Here is a nice and simple side you can enjoy with many meat or fish dishes as long as fennel is in season. I buy mine from Santi’s deli.
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 whole fennel bulb, sliced thinly sliced
- 3-4 medium sized potatoes
- 1 cup cream
- 1 cup fresh carabaos milk (or any fresh milk you prefer)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- salt and pepper to season
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup of 3 kinds of cheese (I use mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan)
PROCEDURE:
Wash, peel and boil potatoes till soft (do not over boil). In a separate pan, melt oil and butter, put in sliced fennel and sauté. While fennel is sautéeing, pour in milk, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper to desired taste. Remove from heat. Once potatoes are cooked, let them cool awhile before slicing into 1/4″ rounds. Arrange potatoes in an oven safe dish (pyrex), pour fennel cream sauce over and top with the three kinds of cheese. Once all arranged, put pyrex into a pre heated oven at 350 degrees. Bake until cheese is golden brown and bubbling. Serve hot.
This gratin got the golden seal of approval and “you’re the best cook ever award!”