Fennel and Potato Au Gratin
This is a Fennel and Potato Au Gratin with Italian flavors and cheese, with a savory, salty flavor from crispy pork pancetta while still keeping the classic creamy texture with Parmigiano and fontina cheese.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 436kcal
Cost: $15
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking dish
- 1 sharp knife or mandolin
- 1 large bowl
- 1 large saucepan
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Russet Potatoes
- 2 bulbs fennel
- 4 oz pancetta, chopped
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmigiano, finely grated
- 6 oz fontina, grated
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes. Thinly slice the potatoes to about ⅛-inch thick. Slice the fennel lengthwise, also about ⅛-inch thick.
- Add the pancetta to a large saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer the pancetta to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Add butter to the saucepan to melt. Stir in the fennel and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fennel begins to soften. Then stir in the garlic and combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 25–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is soft, caramelized, and golden brown. Set aside on a plate to cool for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the potatoes, heavy cream, ½ cup Parmigiano, 4 oz of fontina, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl while cooking the fennel. Toss until the potatoes are evenly coated.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Add the caramelized fennel and pancetta to the potatoes and toss.
- Grease the baking dish with butter. Transfer the potato mixture to the baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the remaining Parmigiano and Fontina cheese.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes until the cheese is golden-brown and bubbling and a knife slides easily through the potatoes in the center of the dish.
- Let the gratin rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.
It's best to add the potatoes to the cream mixture immediately after slicing so they don't oxidize while sautéing the fennel.
Video
Notes
- Preparing the potatoes and fennel. The potatoes and fennel need to be evenly cut so they all cook evenly. If the potatoes are all different thicknesses, the dish's texture will be a mix of too mushy and too al dente.
- Rendering pancetta. When rendering pancetta, it's always best to start from a cold pan so that the fat begins to render first, and once the pan gets hot to fry, the meat of the pancetta will begin to become golden brown.
- Caramelizing fennel. If you skip this step and just cook the fennel in the dish, although it may get soft enough, the flavor of the anise will be overwhelming and take over the dish. If you want to skip this step, try substituting a simple yellow onion.
- Potatoes oxidizing. Once you cut the potatoes, they will begin oxidizing. Immediately put them in the mixture with the heavy cream to avoid that from happening.
- Baking covered. The initial bake should be covered so that the inside gets cooked, but the cheese on top doesn't burn.
- Resting. Resting fennel and potato au gratin isn't a suggestion just for temperature reasons. When the dish begins to cool, the starch will settle and the dish will set.
Nutrition
Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 565mg | Potassium: 567mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1044IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 262mg | Iron: 1mg
