French Cooking: Fennel Gratin

I don’t believe I ever ate fennel as a cooked vegetable in the States. It wasn’t until I came to France and my belle-mère (mother-in-law) prepared a fennel gratin that I realized it’s delicious flavor. This bulbous vegetable has a mild licorice aroma and taste. In ancient Greece, the word for fennel was marathon. The name is said to be based on the Greek victory over the Persians in 470 B.C. at Marathon, which was fought on a field planted with fennel. The ancient Romans chewed fennel stalks believing that it would control obesity. (An early diet aid?) They also believed that snakes drank the juice from the fennel to restore their eyesight when they were shedding their skins. The Roman doctors of the time also recommended it for improving human eyesight. In Medieval times fennel was hung around the house and was suppose to bring good luck and keep out evil spirits. The Puritans in America chewed fennel seeds during church services to stay awake and to stop the rumbling in their stomachs. And during lent they munched on the seeds to keep themselves from getting hungry. Today fenouil  is widely used in southern French cooking. This Mediterranean herb and vegetable is grown in the Provence-Côte d’azur region. It can be boiled, baked, steamed, stir fried and even microwaved (7-8 minutes or until tender). Trim the tops and bases and remove the hard cores before using. If the outside leaves are tough, they should be removed. Save the feathery tops for garnishes. Select those with firm, crisp bulbs and fresh leaves. Store them in the crisper section of your refrigerator and use within 5 days. Fennel is low calorie and an excellent source of vitamins, especially A and C. It also helps with gastro-intestinal problems (ulcers, heartburn, acid stomach, etc.)  In this week’s French Cooking without a Fuss, I am offering two recipes for fennel gratin. The first is the traditional way and the second is provençal style. Gratin de fenouilFennel Gratin4-6 personsCooking time :  1 hour 6 fennel bulbs, cored and cut into 2 in. pieces3 eggs8 oz. heavy cream1 garlic clove, minced½ cup parmesan cheese1 tbsp. buttersalt and pepper, to taste Cook the fennel in salted boiling water for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain. In a bowl, mix the eggs, cream, garlic, half of the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450. Butter a baking dish and add the fennel. Pour the cream mixture over the fennel. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese. Dot with the butter. Cook for 25-30 minutes just until the gratin is golden.Gratin de fenouil provençalProvençal fennel gratin4 personsCooking time :  1 hour 4  fennel bulbs (cored and cut in half lengthwise)1 lb.  onion, diced  salt, to taste2 tbsp.  olive oil6 oz.  tomato sauce1 tbsp.  pastis (optional)5  green olives5  black olives4 oz.  mozzarella cheese1 tbsp.  basil, chopped Cook the fennel in salted boiling water for 30 minutes or until tender. Sauté the onions for two minutes in 1 tbsp. olive oil. Then add the tomato sauce and the pastis (if using). Cook over low heat for about 8 minutes. Pour the sauce into a baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350. Place the drained fennel halves on top of the sauce (cut side up). Sprinkle the olives on top. Place one thin slice of mozzarella on top of each fennel half. Sprinkle a little of the remaining olive oil and basil on each. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Et voila! —April Paute moved to France over 10 years ago with her husband Jean Michel and 2 Siamese cats. Armed with only a dictionary and hand signals, she took on the challenge of requesting the local boucher decapitate a chicken for her. After living in Paris and Antibes, April & co. have settled in Toulouse, where she draws inspiration from her herb garden.