Recipes Onion-Fennel Gratin Be the first to rate & review! Look for small, young, tender organic fennel bulbs. Delicious, Quick Side Dishes Thanksgiving Gratins By Michael Romano Michael Romano James Beard Award winner Michael Romano is the former executive chef of the legendary New York City eatery Union Square Cafe and director of culinary development for the Union Square Hospitality Group, which included such acclaimed restaurants as Gramercy Tavern, Blue Smoke, Jazz Standard, Shake Shack, Maialino, and The Modern. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 18, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Lucy Schaeffer Active Time: 35 mins Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for buttering the dish 4 small to medium fennel bulbs, trimmed Kosher salt 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 medium onions, thinly sliced Freshly ground pepper 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs Directions Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Put the fennel bulbs in a large saucepan of water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a simmer over moderate heat and cook the fennel for 1 minute. Drain the fennel and let cool completely; pat dry with paper towels. Cut the fennel lengthwise through the core into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and softened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread one-third of the onions in the baking dish and arrange half of the fennel slices on top. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the Pecorino. Top with half of the onions, the remaining fennel and then the remaining onions. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Pecorino and the breadcrumbs on top and dot with the butter. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, or until the fennel is tender. Preheat the broiler. Uncover the fennel and broil for 2 minutes, rotating the dish, until evenly browned. Let the fennel stand for 5 minutes before serving. Suggested Pairing The richness of the cheese here, combined with the mildly sweet fennel, finds echoes in a round, buttery Chardonnay with little or no oak. Rate it Print