Have you heard of Beet ‘n Squash YOU! ? – It’s a monthly food-fight wherein the stupendous virtues of vegetables are extolled. It’s fun and it’s hosted by Mel of Bouchon for 2 and Leela of She simmers. And guess what my friends… December is battle FENNEL! Are you excited yet?

I couldn’t resist participating because well… i have a crush on this uncanny vegetable. There’s something unequivocally friendly about fennel but beware – behind its friendliness hides a touch of feistiness – which makes it even more sexy to me. I love raw fennel, thinly shaved and lightly dressed but for this contest i thought i would bring it into submission with cream. It is well-known that cream can soften the hardest, baddest of root vegetables. Why not a fennel?

I wanted a dish with a little more complexity so i started by asking myself this simple question: what do fennels like?

It happens that fennels have a special affinity for pastrami. You can trust me on that, i’ve done some research on the subject. Give a fennel some pastrami and they let go of their guards. So imagine what a fennel, fronds and toasted seeds included, would become if cooked in cream with layers of pastrami and yukon gold potatoes..

Yup. It’s fennelicious..

• Fennel-Pastrami Gratin

• • Serves 4 to 6

• • For the fennel-pastrami gratin:

  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 4 bulbs fennel (including fronds)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled
  • 8 ounces pastrami, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • salt & black pepper
  • 1/2 cup parmesan
  • butter
  • 
    

    For the fennel-pastrami gratin:

  • Preheat oven to 425’F.
  • Toast the fennel seeds in a small pan until fragrant. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the seeds coarsely.
  • Trim the fennel, cut the stalks off and chop and reserve the thinner branches. Peel the outer layers of the bulbs that are bruised. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise and place the halves, cut side down, on a cutting board. Slice the fennel thinly.
  • Toss the fennel in a large bowl with the fronds, the seeds, the olive oil, thyme. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
  • Slice the potatoes on a mandoline. Toss in a bowl with cream and salt to taste.
  • Add the potato mixture to the fennel and toss well. Check and adjust seasoning.
  • In a buttered gratin dish, arrange one layer of potato, overlapping them slightly. Arrange a layer of fennel on top and ladle some of the cream mixture. Arrange a layer of pastrami and another layer of potatoes.. fennel.. etc. Sprinkle some parmesan over the top of the gratin and finish with little dots of butter.
  • Bake for 45 min and up to 1 hour, until the gratin is golden and slightly crispy on top.

Tags: Side-Dish