“This fennel and tomato gratin is a beautiful, creamy and totally indulgent side veg dish. You will love the unique flavours, so be sure to serve this alongside a simple protein, like grilled steak, chicken or fish to avoid competing flavours. The portion itself may seem small, but it rich and unctuous, so it goes a long way!” – Monya
Fats of Life® is a keto and low carb recipe blog that I love to run as a hobby in my spare time. I am also the author of the best-selling Keto Kitchen Series of cookbooks. This includes my debut best-seller Keto Kitchen (2020). The fun and exciting Lazy Keto Kitchen (2021). And, the clever and inspiring Budget Keto Kitchen (2022). My 4th cookbook, Quick Keto Kitchen (2023) is as fantastic as the first three, and packed with spectacular, easy creations!
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More on Fennel and Tomato Gratin…
This keto side vegetable dish features caramelized fennel wedges baked in a luscious and creamy cheese sauce, accompanied by succulent tomatoes. This great combination offers a burst of flavours and textures that will leave your taste buds tantalized.
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The caramelized fennel offers a tender bite with a delicate sweetness. The creamy cheese sauce adds a rich and indulgent element. The tomatoes provide a burst of acidity, balancing the richness of the dish perfectly.
This keto vegetable dish showcases the versatility of fennel when combined with a creamy cheese sauce and roasted tomatoes. Its flavours and textures make it an excellent accompaniment to any main course or a standalone vegetarian delight.
It is important to note that to maintain ketosis, it’s essential to track carbohydrate intake and ensure it aligns with your daily macro goals. Consulting with a healthcare professional is advised before making significant dietary changes. Scroll to the bottom to see the full macros and allergens for this Fennel and Tomato Gratin, as well as all the Side dishes on Fats of Life®.
Creamy Caramelised Fennel and Tomato Gratin
Per serving
Ingredients
- 550 g (19 oz) fennel bulbs, (trimmed weight, see below)
- 2 tsp lard (or ghee)
- 140 g (4.9 oz) vegetable stock, (or water)
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tomato, chopped small
- 220 g (7.8 oz) double cream
- 75 g (2.7 oz) full-fat cream cheese (soft cheese)
- 60 g (2.1 oz) extra-strong, full-fat Cheddar cheese, grated
- salt and ground white pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan oven). This is 200°C for conventional ovens (or 400°F / gas mark 6).
- Trim the fennel bulbs lengthways through the bulbs so that the wedges remain intact. Do not discard the fronds, set them aside for a pretty, fresh garnish. (The weight indicated above is the yield of edible fennel after trimming.) Depending on their size, you could use anything between 2-4 bulbs. Just be sure to keep the wedges as close in size as possible to ensure even cooking.
- You will need to work in two batches: Melt half the ghee or lard in a large, non-stick pan or wok over high heat. Place the fennel wedges in an even layer and leave to char on one of the flat sides. Gently turn to char the other flat side, then turn again to char the round side. Set aside on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining fat of choice and remaining fennel wedges.
- Return all the wedges to the pan and pour in the vegetable stock. Add the cumin and garlic powder and leave to boil until all the stock has completely evaporated. This will further soften the fennel.
- Tip the fennel into a suitably-sized oven proof dish where they can lie in a relatively even layer. Scatter over the chopped tomatoes. Set aside for now.
- Using the same pan you used to caramelise the fennel, pour in the cream and cream cheese. Over a moderate heat, bring to a simmer and tip in the grated cheese. Stir regularly until you have a smooth mixture than has reduced a little. Season with salt and ground white pepper.
- Pour the creamy mixture evenly over the fennel and bake in the oven for 25-28 minutes.
- Just before serving, garnish with the reserved fennel fronds! Decadent!
My name is Monya Kilian Palmer. If you loved this recipe, please follow and tag me @mkilianpalmer on Instagram so we can all see your lovely creations!
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The links above will take you to Amazon UK. For USA and other countries, see the global Amazon links here: Keto Kitchen ; Lazy Keto Kitchen ; Budget Keto Kitchen ; Quick Keto Kitchen.
Nutritional Information per servingCalories 275Kcal / 1151kJ
Fat 27g
Carbohydrates 3.4g
Protein 4.9g
Allergens
Milk
Eggs (may be found in some brands of soft cheese - check label)
Celery (may be found in some brands of vegetable stock - check label)
See all the Side dishes on Fats of Life:
Disclaimer: The nutritional analysis, macro and allergen breakdown of the recipes on this site have been manually and carefully calculated using the cloud-based software NUTRITICS®. NUTRITICS® is fully approved by the relevant Trading Standards organizations and is EU and FDA-compliant. The macro calculations are provided as a courtesy to you based on the author's weighing of ingredients when creating the dishes. If Erythritol (a sugar polyol) has been used in any of the recipes, it has already been manually excluded from the final carbohydrate count. The author is a chef - not a medical professional - and this website has been designed to provide you with recipe ideas to suit the low carb lifestyle you have discussed with your GP.
1 Comment
Drop me a line if you have any questions or comments about this recipe. I will do my best to reply as soon as possible! Monya xxx