Ingredients
- For the creamy fennel sauce
- 1 medium fennel bulb, cut into a small dice
- 6 fillets of anchovies packed in oil and minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground fennel seed
- 2 tablespoons flour (cornflour for gluten free option)
- 1 ¼ cups cow milk, nut milk or liquid of your choice
- For the gratin
- 8 Large stalks celery, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 bunch of Silverbeet stalk removed & roughly chopped
- 1 small leek, white and light green part, halved lengthwise and then cut crosswise about 1/2 inch
- 4 tablespoons butter
- For the topping
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup panko (or gluten free) crumbs
Celery, Silverbeet and Fennel Gratin
Method
- In a large sauté pan sauté the fennel and anchovy in the butter until the fennel softens
- add the white pepper and ground fennel
- Add the flour and cook a few minutes to let the flour lose that floury taste
- Slowly stir in 1 cup of the liquid and cook a few minutes until the sauce thickens a bit
- Place the cooked mixture in a blender, add the remaining liquid and puree until smooth
- Set aside
- In a large sauté pan sauté the celery and leek in the butter just until the leek softens a bit (about 6 to 7 minutes)
- Stir though the silverbeet
- Once the silverbeet has begun to wilt
- Place the celery/ leek/silverbeet mixture into a 9 x9 inch baking dish and pour the fennel sauce over
- Bake in a pre-heated 180°c oven, covered for about 45 to 50 minutes
- Uncover and bake for 15 minutes or more until the sauce thickens
- Combine the cheese and panko and sprinkle over the casserole
- Increase the oven temp to 200°c and bake another 15 minutes or so to deepen the colouring
- Let the casserole rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving
Comments
Don’t be put off by the anchovy in this recipe!! They help to enrich and deepen the flavour of the overall dish without leaving any tell-tale fishiness.
Serves 4 to 6
