Lighter Fennel Potato Gratin Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Quarter the fennel lengthways, and cut out and discard the root. Thinly slice the fennel. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan, season the fennel and gently cook for about 5 mins until starting to soften.
• Drizzle a little oil over the base of a 1.5-litre gratin dish. Arrange half the potatoes over the base, then season. Spread the fennel over, then cover with the remaining potatoes. Pour over the stock, season and drizzle with the remaining oil. Scrunch a piece of baking parchment around the edge of the dish to make a seal, then bake for 1 hr. Can be made a few hours ahead up to this point.
• Remove the dish from the oven and put the tomatoes on top. Scatter over the Parmesan and return to the oven for 20 mins until the top is golden.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Butter inside of a 10x15x2-inch (10 cup) baking dish.
• Remove stalks and core of fennel, slice thinly crosswise.
• Saute fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on Medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender.
• Peel potatoes, slice thinly.
• Mix potatoes in a bowl with 2 cups cream and 2 cups Gruyere, salt, pepper and the sauteed onion/fennel mixture.
• Pour into baking dish, press down to smooth.
• Combine remaining 2 tbl cream and 1/2 cup Gruyere and sprinkle on top.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours until potatoes are very tender, the top is browned and bubbly.
• Let set for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.
• Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.
• Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well.
• Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

Steps:

• In a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish, combine the potatoes and fennel; set aside.
• In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add broth, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Layered a casserole dish with 1/2 potatoes slices and 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese and repeat.
• Pour over mixture; gently toss to coat potatoes. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Steps:

• Cut the roots off the fennel. Discard the tough, stringy or discolored outer leaves. Chop the feathery leaves and set them aside to use as a garnish. Slice the bulbs lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick pieces and place them in a 2-quart saucepan. Add 3 cups of stock and the garlic, lemon juice and salt (if desired). Bring the broth to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the fennel slices and set them aside.
• Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Put them in the broth and, if necessary, add more stock or water if the broth has cooked down too far. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the potatoes just lose their crunch. Do not allow them to soften beyond this point. Lift the potatoes out of the pot and set them aside.
• Cook the broth over medium-high heat until it is reduced by a little more than half, to approximately 1 1/4 cups. Force the broth through a medium sieve into a bowl, using a spatula to push through the garlic cloves.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish or gratin dish with several spoonfuls of the strained broth. Make a layer of fennel and potatoes, arranging the slices so that fennel alternates with potato; use up all the fennel. Spoon on a little more broth and sprinkle with one-third of the Parmesan cheese and some freshly ground black pepper. Put the remaining potato slices on top - they should overlap slightly.
• Lightly press the potatoes with the palm of your hand so that the layer is even. Pour the remaining broth over the potatoes, grind pepper on top and sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes.
• While the gratin is baking, saute the bread crumbs in the butter until they are golden-brown. Five minutes before the gratin is done, sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top with about a tablespoon of the chopped fennel leaves. Let the dish cool slightly before serving.

Steps:

• Rinse and trim off stalks of fennel. Discard the hard outer covering. Slice off bottom of bulbs and remove the center core. Slice the bulb lengthwise into 1/4" slices.
• Remove outer covering from the leeks and trim off the dark green sections. Slice remaining into 1/4" slices.
• Sauté fennel and leek slices in butter over med-high heat about 5 minutes in a large skillet. Add 3/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp thyme cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• Combine potato slices, flour and 1/2 tsp salt in zip-top bag and shake to coat. Arrange half of these slices in a well buttered 13"x9" baking dish.
• Mix whipping cream and milk. Pour half of this mixture over potatoes in pan. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of Gruyere cheese and 1 tsp of thyme. Spoon sautéed fennel/leeks over cheese and top with remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, 1 tsp thyme, and pepper.
• Bake, covered, at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until browned. Let stand 10 minutes.