50g (2oz) mature Cheddar or Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
25g (1oz) butter, melted
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan) mark 3. Mix crumb ingredients; season. Set aside.
Step 2
Cut fennel into quarters lengthways, removing any tough central core (no need to be too precise). Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry fennel (in batches if needed) until golden and softening, about 10min. Arrange in a large ovenproof dish.
Step 3
To the empty pan, add cream and crème fraîche. Bring to boil and season well. Pour over fennel and top with crumb mixture.
Step 4
Cook gratin in oven for 35min until golden. Serve.
GET AHEAD Prepare to end of step 3 up to 1½hr ahead, but don’t add crumb. Cover and leave at room temperature. To serve, add crumb and complete recipe.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
