Fennel fronds. Fennel seeds. Fennel bulbs. Fennel is everywhere these days. In fact, right now our farmer’s markets are bursting with these bulbous veggies (yes, I said “bulbous”). They’re versatile, mild in flavor, and pair beautifully with just about any other veggie you can think of. In this case, the pairing of Fennel & potatoes was is match made in heaven with this Creamy Fennel & Potato Au Gratin.
Fennel bulbs look a little funny if you’ve never worked with them before, but I highly recommend grabbing some the next time you come across these veggies. Of course, you could be like me and buy one regular-sized bulb and then see a MONSTER one a couple stalls down and buy that one, too.
I should have taken a picture of that huge one next to my face. It was GINORMOUS!
I’ll admit that when I bought these beauties I didn’t have an exact recipe in mind. I was just in the mood for fennel for some unknown reason. But when the monster came into play, I knew I wanted to make it creamy, dreamy, and just a little steamy. And the best way to do that was to make it into a Creamy Fennel & Potato Au Gratin.
Did you eat au gratin potatoes as a kid? I did, and I hated them. The sticky way the potatoes stuck together. The gross sauce that was supposed to be cheesy but was more like eating craft paste. Yeah, I was not a fan. But I think I have finally found the right mix of ingredients (um, hello fresh everything instead of out of a box!) along with the perfect bechamel sauce (creamy, NOT sticky) to create a luscious dish that will satisfy the pickiest of eaters. Oh, and this one also doesn’t go the other direction and wind up with uncooked potatoes and fennel that is swimming in a thin sauce. I mean, I’ve SEEN this done, but it’s never been on my watch or anything (cough, cough).
This recipe is so simple you can make it for a weeknight meal, but impressive enough to serve to company. This yummy Creamy Fennel & Potato Au Gratin will make you want to grab up every bulb of fennel that you come across out there. Bring on the monster Fennel!!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 people | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 1 hour |
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This is the very first au gratin recipe that I've made that I'm actually looking forward to making (and eating!) again. It's the perfect combination of creamy, flavorful, and seasonally-focused. I love how the fennel flavor becomes a perfect counterpoint to the potatoes, and provides a great textural change up when cooked to perfection. Add a little fennel to your next potato dish and see what all the fuss is about!
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- 3 cups thinly sliced yukon gold potatoes
- 1 medium fennel bulb, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half & half
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash and slice the fennel bulb, removing fronds and rinsing thoroughly to make sure no residual dirt remains. Using a mandolin, slice the peeled potatoes into 1/4 - 1/2 inch slices.
- In a cooking spray-coated baking dish, layer the potato and fennel in the dish. 2 layers of each should do the trick.
- In a small sauce pan, over medium heat melt the butter and mix with the flour to create a paste. Add the broth and stir until any remaining lumps are gone. Slowly add the half & half, whisking the mixture to incorporate into a creamy sauce.
- Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir to incorporate. Remove from heat.
- Carefully pour the sauce evenly over the layered potatoes and fennel. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the mixture.
- Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.
- Serve immediately, and enjoy this great twist on a potato classic!
One of the things that I actually really liked about Texas was that winter time is when the farmer's markets were still fun. I hate hot weather, so year round I could stroll through the stalls and take in the sunshine (Vitamin D--hooray!) and pick out great, seasonal produce like this monster fennel.
I was partial to wandering the Pearl Farmer's Market in San Antonio. It's a great district that used to be a brewery, but when it fell into disrepair it was restored and developed into mixed use areas that include shops, restaurants, offices, condos, and so much more. The CIA even has one of its 3 locations there (The Culinary Institute of America, not the "other" CIA). The weekend Farmer's Market brings people from all over town to this cool and hip area, and just makes you happy seeing all of the local farmers and other vendors. If you are ever in town on a weekend, it's a must! It was one of my happy places when living there. :o)
I loved the finds I came across at the market, and this fennel was no exception. Fennel is so versatile that I still use it in everything from dishes like this Creamy Fennel & Potato Au Gratin to using it alongside veggies like carrots, celery and onions when making a stew or braise. The mild flavor adds a subtle roundness to dishes, and is wonderful when sauteed with garlic and served as its own side dish.
Versatile and a bit out of the ordinary for most, fennel is a cook's secret weapon!
I LOVE fennel! It’s so underrated. I need this dish asap!
Fennel is so underutilized in the U.S. which is a shame because it’s amazing! This au gratin sounds terrific!
I agree. I think people hear a description that includes the word “anise” and they go running for the hills. But it’s so mild and so sweet, I wish more folks would give it a try!
Gratin is such a wonderful cold weather dish – and pairing fennel and potato is wonderful. Especially when the fennel is as huge as the ones you found:)
Yeah, that thing was a monster! I had leftovers (because c’mon, that’s a LOT of fennel) so I cut it up and froze it for use in a soup. Double duty fennel! :o)
You mixed fennel and potatoes which has me in awe. I would never think of putting those two together. Your recipe looks so delicious. I can’t wait to try it.
It is a flavor match made in heaven, I promise. Let me know if you try it–you’ll be addicted for sure. :o)
That is so cool that you have farmer’s markets in winter! And that fennel is the most boisterous I’ve ever seen.
It really is nice to have it as an option year-round. And if you click on the links for this particular one, you’ll see why the setting makes it as appealing as the vendors! :o)
Yum! I never know how to use fennel aside from raw in salads, so this is great!