Equipment
Ingredients
Braised Fennel
- 3 fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, and sliced into 1cm wedges
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 120 ml dry white wine, room temperature
- 120 ml vegetable stock
- 3 g kosher salt
Mornay Sauce
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 400 ml whole milk, warmed slightly
- 150 g gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- 30 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 g ground nutmeg, freshly grated preferred
- 1 g black pepper
Crumb Topping
- 60 g panko breadcrumbs
- 25 g unsalted butter, melted
- 20 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 414 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 27 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 706 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 74 mg
- Potassium
- 724 mg
- Calcium
- 519 mg
- Iron
- 1.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 51 mg
- Phosphorus
- 363 mg
- Zinc
- 1.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 288 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 16 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 87 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.17 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.30 mg
- Niacin
- 1.7 mg
- Folate
- 56 mcg
- Water
- 211 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C / 400 degrees F. Lightly grease your gratin dish with a small amount of butter.
In a large skillet, melt the butter for the fennel over medium heat. Add the fennel wedges and saute until they begin to lightly caramelize on the edges.
Pour the dry white wine and vegetable stock into the skillet with the fennel. Season with kosher salt, bring to a steady simmer, then cover and braise until the fennel is completely tender and the liquid has mostly reduced.
While the fennel braises, prepare the roux in a medium saucepan. Melt the butter over medium-low heat, then whisk in the all-purpose flour. Cook, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flour taste without letting it brown.
Gradually whisk the warm whole milk into the roux, pouring in a slow, steady stream to prevent lumps. Simmer gently while whisking frequently until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Gradually stir in the grated Gruyere and the first measure of Parmesan cheese until smoothly melted. Season with ground nutmeg and black pepper.
Transfer the braised fennel wedges to the prepared gratin dish, arranging them in a relatively even layer. Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top of the fennel.
In a small bowl, toss the panko breadcrumbs with the melted butter and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Scatter this mixture evenly over the cheese sauce in the gratin dish.
Bake in the preheated oven at 200 degrees C / 400 degrees F until the cheese sauce is bubbling around the edges and the breadcrumb topping is deeply golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Retain the delicate fennel fronds from the bulbs; chop them finely and use them as a fresh, aromatic garnish right before serving.
- For the smoothest Mornay sauce, ensure your cheeses are grated fresh from the block. Pre-shredded cheeses are coated in anti-caking agents like potato starch or cellulose which can prevent them from melting smoothly.
- When braising the fennel, the goal is not just to cook it, but to drive off excess water while infusing it with the wine and stock. If your fennel releases a lot of moisture, remove the lid at the end to allow the pan to boil dry before combining it with the sauce.
- If your topping is browning too quickly before the center of the gratin is hot and bubbly, loosely tent the baking dish with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cover tightly. The breadcrumb topping will soften in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175C/350F oven until warmed through to restore some crispness to the topping.
Troubleshooting
Cheese sauce is lumpy or grainy
Cause: The milk was added too quickly to the roux, or the cheese was added while the pan was still on a high heat, causing the proteins to coagulate and split.
Fix: Before adding the cheese, a lumpy bechamel can be rescued by vigorously whisking, passing through a fine mesh sieve, or using an immersion blender. If the cheese has already split, whisking in a splash of cold milk or a teaspoon of dijon mustard off the heat can sometimes re-emulsify it.
Prevention: Always add milk slowly while whisking vigorously. Remove the sauce from the heat source completely before stirring in the grated cheese.
Watery gratin
Cause: Fennel was not braised long enough to evaporate its internal moisture and the braising liquid.
Fix: Spoon off excess liquid after baking, though this may dilute the cheese sauce flavor.
Prevention: Ensure the fennel is fully tender and the braising liquid is reduced to a glaze before transferring to the baking dish.
Cultural Context
The gratin technique originated in French cuisine, characterized by a browned crust formed by cheese, breadcrumbs, or butter cooked under a broiler or in a hot oven. Braising fennel first softens its naturally fibrous texture and mellows its distinct anise flavor, marrying beautifully with the nutty depth of Alpine cheeses like Gruyere in a classic Mornay sauce.
