Finocchio Gratin ~ Baked Fennel

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
w/Besciamella

White sauce
Béchamel
Besciamella
Gravy.
It makes everything wonderful.
I do like just about anything with a sauce. Sauces are the reason people like French food. Of course, it's because the king of France decided to marry Catherine de Medici from Italy, who brought all her own chefs with her as the food in France consisted of, well, basically, primitive English food. It was the beginning of the rise of France to the cooking hall of fame.

Back to sauce. So many American cooks tremble at the idea of making a holland side or béchamel, choosing to buy little envelopes of instant mix, and in the end consuming who knows what. Rather just learn the basics of sauce making and enjoy the fruits of your labors any old night of the week while getting to eat really wholesome ingredients.

As you're going through the produce section of the grocery store, look for those flat looking onion bulbs with tall green feathery tops---fennel. Some stores label it anise. It's the same thing. If they're reasonable, pick up 3-4 for a wonderful side dish your family will love.

You'll need
3-4 fennel bulbs
2 cups milk
4-5 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Parmesan
Nutmeg, salt

Melt Butter in Saucier

Prep the fennel either the day before or whenever. Cut off the green parts and put in the compost. Truly I've tried to find a use for this bit of veg and I haven't, nor have the myriad of frugal Sicilian mothers I questioned. Oh well.

Whisk in Flour

Now slice off the root end but just barely. You don't want it to fall apart. Wash the outside (it'll be a little bruised but just leave it).  The discoloration will be covered nicely with our besciamella...see? Besciamella DOES make everything better!  Cut your fennel bulbs as you would quarter an onion.  You want some whole wedges if possible.  If it falls apart, no worries.  Your stomach won't care.

Put these in a pan of boiling water with a little salt, and cook them until fork tender.  Drain and set aside.  You can do this a day or two ahead, or right before you start.  Now for the good stuff.

When you're ready, preheat the oven to 375F and get out a glass 9" square dish.  You can use a pie plate if you like, but I like the deeper square better.

Cook Flour 3-4 Min

In a saucepan, preferably a saucier with rounded bottom instead of corners (makes whisking easier), melt the butter on medium heat.  Dump in all the flour at once, and whisk to absorb the butter.  If it's just not absorbing, add another pat of butter.  It'll be dry-ish but the flour should all be absorbed.  Let it cook, whisking occasionally, for 3-4 minutes so that icky flour taste goes away.
All Clad Stainless Steel 1 Qt Saucier Pan - 8701004436 (Google Affiliate Ad)

Whisk in 1/2 Milk

Pour in 1 cup of the milk, and whisk thoroughly, scraping back and forth on the bottom to remove all flour.  Once the lumps are gone, add the rest of the milk and keep whisking.  You'll need to whisk every 30 seconds or so to keep the bottom of the pan clean and not form any lumps.  How do you know when it's done? Easy.  The FIRST time it bubbles, it's done.  And it will.  It'll make a big round bubble of air and go BLOP.  You're done.  Take it off the heat, season with a tsp of salt, a tsp of fresh ground nutmeg, and of course taste it!  It should be yummy.  If it's not, salt or nutmeg to taste. Lastly, blend in the parmesan.

Finished Besciamella

Put a large spoonful of sauce in the bottom of the glass pan, smearing it around.  Set the fennel wedges lined up in the pan now, or dump it in if your wedges fell apart.  Just be sure they're well drained. It should be a nice single layer of fennel.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the top, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake for 30 min or until the besciamella is nice and golden.
You could do this with bulb onions, potatoes, brussel sprouts, just about anything.  Hope you enjoy this dish. Our family does.  By the way, doesn't this remind you a little of green bean casserole?  Mushroom besciamella is...guess what...cream of mushroom soup in disguise!  Talk about a yummy, healthy alternative!  More on that another day....