Fennel and Shallot Gratin

By á-73576

Creamy, Crunchy, Tasty

Ingredients

• 3 bulbs fennel, sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, removed from thin branches
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus a thin slice each for greasing gratin dish, and toasting bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, approximately
• 1/8 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2- 3/4 cup homemade seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/8 cup half and half or heavy cream
• a few pinches kosher salt
• a few grindings of fresh cracked pepper

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 70mins
Adapted from spicedpeachblog.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a gratin or baking dish. Melt a thin slice of butter in a small saute pan, add in the bread crumbs, stir well throughout and cook on low two to three minutes, shaking pan in between, turn off heat, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, set aside. Melt two tablespoons butter in a large saute pan on very low heat, add fennel and shallots, stir, cook two minutes before sprinkling in fresh thyme and a couple of good pinches of salt and pepper. Continue cooking mixture until fennel is softened approximately five to eight minutes, turn off heat. Spoon cooked vegetables into buttered gratin dish, lightly mix through and top with the grated Gruyere and Parmesan Cheeses. Pour the half and half or cream all around the mixture, Scatter buttered breadcrumbs over the top. Bake around thirty five minutes until cheese is bubbling, bread crumbs lightly browning. Switch oven temperature to broiler, moving gratin to the broiler level rack, broil a couple of minutes or so turning dish once for even color and broil to golden brown all around.