The Provençal accents here are fennel seeds and a hint of lavender to add a mysterious deep and floral note that pairs well with fennel. Make this with any summer squash you have, just try to cut all the slices the same thickness.
INGREDIENTS:
2 heads fennel, stalks removed, save 2-3 tablespoons fronds, fennel sliced thinly
1 large brown or white onion. Halved through root and sliced thinly
1½-2 pounds summer squash, diagonally sliced into ¼-inch thick by 2 to 3 inch long slices
3 cloves garlic, 1 split in half, 2 minced
½-teaspoon each of fennel seed and culinary lavender, powdered and kept separate
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil as needed
-Optional- ½-cup grated Gruyere, Emmenthal, or a mix of Parmesan and Romano cheese
-Optional- 1 cup of breadcrumbs
METHOD:
Heat oven to 375°F.
Rub the gratin dish gently with the split garlic clove until you see some streaks of garlic juice in the dish. Set aside the garlic for further use.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. When pan is quite hot, film generously with oil. When oil is hot, gently smack the reserved split garlic clove halves with the flat of a knife to crack them a bit. Add to the hot oil and cook, turning to prevent burning, until you can smell the garlic, but the garlic itself does not color beyond a bare golden. Remove garlic from oil and discard.
Add onions and fennel to oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing frequently to prevent browning. Cook until limp and starting to caramelize. Make a well in the center and add a dollop of oil. Add minced garlic to oil and cook until fragrant. Stir into vegetables. Flatten vegetables in pan and lightly dust with fennel, and then really lightly dust with lavender. Stir in and taste a bit. Can you taste both the fennel and a hint of lavender? Keep dusting until you get enough on to taste the fennel and lavender. Transfer pan contents to the gratin dish and level out without packing down.
Starting and one end or corner of a narrower end, begin scaling the squash slices so the skin on the diagonal slice faces up. Working across and then down, scale the slices so there is around ¾-inch of the bottom slices exposed. Use an oil sprayer to liberally spray the surface of the gratin. If you do not have a sprayer, either use a brush painting cross-wise to avoid disrupting the pattern or drizzle from a higher altitude so oil spreads around. Gently use fingers to evenly and liberally smear the squash with oil. Season with salt and pepper and a very light dusting of fennel and lavender powders.
Place gratin in hot oven and bake for around 20 minutes, until the dish is turning golden and squash is softening. Cook until squash is golden and cooked through.
If using cheese and/or breadcrumbs, lightly oil crumbs, and add cheese, or crumbs, or mix both and use that, to the top of the gratin about 10- minutes before the dish is done. Add some chopped fennel fronds to the cheese, crumbs or to the top when you pull it from the oven. So, when the gratin is golden but still has some resistance to a fork, add the toppings. Cook until cheese is melted and crumbs are golden and brown. Total cooking time should run between 25-40 minutes. Serve hot or room temp.
Chef’s Notes: Use this on a sandwich or warm it and drop a fried egg on top for breakfast or lunch. Serve as a side to roast chicken or lamb.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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