Potato Fennel Gratin By Ina Garten Food

FENNEL SOUP GRATIN

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, onions, and thyme and saute for 20 to 25 minutes, until the onions and fennel are very tender and caramelized. (You can add a little water if it starts to stick.) Deglaze the pan by adding the brandy; reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the sherry and white wine and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. Add the Pernod and cook for 5 more minutes. Check for salt and pepper.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Ladle the soup into 6 to 8 ovenproof bowls and place 1 or 2 slices of French bread and a handful of Gruyère cheese on top of each bowl. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and slide them under the broiler for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly, and serve.

ROASTED-POTATO FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until cooked through.
• Saute the onions and fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot on medium heat until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the roasted potatoes (including the scrapings from the pan) and the chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until all of the vegetables are very soft. Add the heavy cream and allow the soup to cool slightly. Pass the soup through the largest disk of a food mill or chop coarsely in batches in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Taste for salt and pepper. Reheat and serve hot.

POTATO FENNEL GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lower third of oven. Butter a 2-quart shallow flameproof gratin pan or baking dish (not glass.)
• Cut fronds from fennel and chop enough to measure 1 tablespoon. Set aside. Cut off and discard stalks. Quarter fennel lengthwise and cut very thinly with slicer into a large bowl.
• Peel potatoes and cut very thinly with slicer into bowl. Add butter with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat.
• Transfer vegetables to gratin dish, spreading them out in an even layer, and cover tightly with foil.
• Bake 30 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F and continue to bake until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes more.
• Remove from oven and remove foil, then sprinkle gratin evenly with cheese.
• Preheat broiler and broil gratin 4 to 5 inches from heat just until cheese is lightly golden 4 to 5 minutes.
• Let gratin stand 5 minutes before serving.

PARMESAN FENNEL GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the stalks from each fennel bulb and discard. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise through the core. Remove most (but not all) of the core by cutting a V-shaped wedge, leaving the wedges intact. Cut each piece into 2, 3, or 4 wedges, depending on the size of the bulb. Arrange the wedges, cut side up, in a gratin dish just large enough to hold them snugly in a single layer. Pour the chicken stock and wine over the fennel, then sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper. Dot with the diced butter. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the fennel is tender. Remove from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, make the topping. Combine the melted butter, panko, Parmesan, parsley, zest, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle evenly on top and return to the oven. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until the topping is browned. Serve hot or warm.
• Note: The ingredient quantities were proportionally increased for this episode.