As they soften, their taste becomes mellow and sweet. The cream and butter enhance the sweetness and create a gooey, comforting texture.
The crunchy Parmesan topping is added for textural contrast and, crucially, to give a moreish, umami bite to this intrinsically bitter-sweet dish. Texturally, it is at its best hot, but its flavour is perfect when warm.
Recipe extracted from: ‘Sight, Smell, Touch, Taste, Sound: A New Way to Cook’, Pavilion Books
- Heat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
- Discard any tough outer layers from the fennel, slice in half lengthways and cut into very thick fans.
- Add the fennel to a saucepan of boiling unsalted water, cover, and return to the boil. Cook for about 8 minutes in total, or until the fennel is tender when pierced with a knife. Drain thoroughly.
- Cut the chicory into quarters or sixths lengthwise – they need to be thick and chunky.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the chicory and fry for 4 minutes, turning regularly, until they are lightly browned on all sides and beginning to soften.
- Arrange alternate wedges of the buttery chicory and blanched fennel in a single layer in a shallow, 23 x 23 cm/9 x 9 inch gratin dish. Lightly season.
- Mix together the breadcrumbs and Parmesan, then sprinkle evenly over the vegetables, before pouring the cream on top.
- Bake immediately (otherwise the chicory will discolour) in the hot oven for about 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are meltingly soft when tested with a small knife and the cheesy crumbs are crisp and golden.
