Brussels sprouts, fennel, potato & cashew gratin

Name: Brussels sprouts, fennel, potato & cashew gratin
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 45 g Essential Salted Butter; 1 bulb/s large or 2 smaller bulbs fennel, trimmed, halved, cored and cut into 1cm slices; ½ Essential Onion, cut into 1cm slices; 150 g raw Brussels sprouts, cut into 0.5cm slices; 80 g unsalted cashew nuts; 1 large or 2 medium Essential Potatoes, skin on; 30 g Essential Plain Flour; 250 ml Essential Free Range British Whole Milk; 150 ml pot Essential Double Cream; 75 g mature Cheddar (or another full-flavoured cheese), grated; 1 Flat leaf parsley, chopped to garnish (optional)

Elly Curshen's leftovers recipe of white sauce, enriched with cream, makes a glorious and indulgent coat for vegetables and nuts. Topped with potato and cheese and you’re in for a real treat. Try it as a side dish or a veggie main course.

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Serves6
CourseSide
Prepare20 mins
Cook50 mins
Total time1 hr 10 mins

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Ingredients

45g Essential Salted Butter
1 bulb/s large or 2 smaller bulbs fennel, trimmed, halved, cored and cut into 1cm slices
½ Essential Onion, cut into 1cm slices
150g raw Brussels sprouts, cut into 0.5cm slices
80g unsalted cashew nuts
1 large or 2 medium Essential Potatoes, skin on
30g Essential Plain Flour
250ml Essential Free Range British Whole Milk
150ml pot Essential Double Cream
75g mature Cheddar (or another full-flavoured cheese), grated
1 Flat leaf parsley, chopped to garnish (optional)

Method

Melt 15g butter in a large, lidded pan. Add the fennel, onion and sprouts. Season well, stir, cover and cook gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the fennel is tender and lightly golden. Replacing the lid each time ensures the vegetables steam and soften as well as brown. Add the cashew nuts, stir well, and remove from the heat. Keep the pan covered and put to one side.
Meanwhile, halve the potato lengthways, then cut into 0.5cm slices. Put in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then simmer for 5 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.
Use the same small pan to make a white sauce. Melt the remaining 30g butter, whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add the milk and cream slowly, whisking continuously. Season well and cook for 1-2 minutes until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Take off the heat, stir in 25g of the cheese and let it melt. Pour ¾ of the sauce into the pan of fennel, sprouts and onion and fold together. Tip the mixture into a 1.5L ovenproof dish (about 17x22cm) Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6.
Toss the cooked potato in the remaining sauce and lay it out on top of the dish, in overlapping lines. Pour over any leftover sauce. Scatter the remaining grated cheese on the top and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the gratin is bubbling and golden brown. Scatter some parsley over the top to serve, if liked. Delicious with green veg.

Cook’s tip

If using cooked sprouts, quarter them and add at the same time as the cashews. To use mixed unsalted nuts instead of cashews, first boil in water for 5 minutes to soften.