Name: Fennel & tomato gratin
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 4 heads of fennel trimmed (fronds kept) and cut into thin wedges; 2 garlic cloves chopped; 400g can chopped tomato; 85g white bread; 50g parmesan grated; handful fennel fronds; zest 1 lemon; handful black olive pitted

For the fennel

3 tbsp olive oil
4 heads of fennel
trimmed (fronds kept) and cut into thin wedges
2 garlic cloves
chopped
400g can chopped tomato

For the topping

85g white bread
50g parmesan
grated
handful fennel
fronds
zest 1 lemon
handful black olive
pitted

Method

step 1
Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a saucepan, then add the fennel, cover and stew over a low heat for 15 mins. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 10-20 mins until the fennel is soft (the timing depends on how thick the fennel is). Add the tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins until the fennel is coated in a thick tomato sauce. Tip everything into a shallow gratin dish. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
step 2
While the fennel is cooking, tip all the topping ingredients except the olives into a food processor and blitz to crumbs. Add the olives and pulse until chopped, but not blended. Scatter the crumbs generously over the fennel, drizzle with the rest of the oil, then bake for 20 mins until golden.