Vegetable Gratin with Crème Fraîche

Ingredients

• 4 small fennel bulbs
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• 500 g tomatoes
• 250 g crème fraîche
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 50 g Heavy cream
• 150 g grated Gouda cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• Salt
• freshly ground pepper (from the mill)
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 0.5 tsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp chives sprigs
• butter (for greasing the dish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash, trim, and cut off the greens of the fennel bulbs; set some aside. Slice the bulbs into about 5 mm thick rounds.

2. 2.

   Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a pot and simmer the fennel slices covered over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Drain and let them dry, reserving the broth.

3. 3.

   Wash the tomatoes and cut them into thick slices. Grease an oven dish with butter. Layer the fennel and tomato slices like roof tiles and pour about one cup of vegetable broth over them.

4. 4.

   In a pot mix the crème fraîche and heavy cream. Peel and press the garlic cloves in. Add the Gouda, stir gently over low heat until creamy, then remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolk. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, vinegar, and sugar to taste.

5. 5.

   Pour the sauce over the vegetables and cover the dish with foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 15–20 minutes. Serve the gratin topped with chives sprigs and fennel greens.