Leftover Pork with Fennel Gratin

Friday 11 February

This recipe is one of the few attractive ones I've seen in Bon Appetit, the poor substitute that they foisted on us when they shut down Gourmet magazine (worst publishing decision ever, Condé-Nast-y).

As printed it was a Thanksgiving-size sidedish for 10, but we cut and simplified it for us two.

We used the 3/4 of a cored bulb of fennel left over from yesterday, and sliced it and a small onion into quarter-inch-thick slices, then sautéed in a little oil with a clove of minced garlic until transparent. Then we melted in a little frozen chicken broth and a slosh of white wine, plus a sprig of chopped parsley and a tsp. of chopped fresh thyme, salted and peppered to taste, and let it simmer until the liquid was mostly absorbed.

We spooned it into a lightly oiled shallow baking dish, leaving a bit of liquid over, in which we reheated the last of the leftover pork, cut into tiny pieces.

Then we made the crumb topping: in a tablespoon of melted butter in a nonstick pan, we added 1/4 cup panko and sautéed until golden, about 3 minutes. Removed from heat and let cool to room temperature. Then stirred another sprig of chipped parsley, 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel, and a quarter cup of grated romano cheese into the pan of panko.

Sprinkled the panko mixture over the fennel, and put in a preheated 425°F oven. Only had to bake it until the gratin was hot and topping was browned, about 10 minutes.

Incidentally, this is a great topping for any cheesy bake or vegetable medley, and Barbara loves the hint of lemon.