FENNEL AND BERKSWELL GRATIN

Serves: 6-8

■ 2/3 cup (160 ml) unsalted

■ butter

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

■ 4 onions, sliced

■ 8 heads fennel, thinly sliced or shaved on a mandoline 4 cloves garlic, minced

■ 4 bay leaves

■ 2 sprigs thyme

■ 1/3 cup (80 ml) white wine

■ 1/3 cup (80 ml) full-fat milk

■1/3 cup (80 ml) whipping cream

■ 9 oz (250 g) Berkswell cheese,

■ grated (see note)

■ 1/2 lemon, juiced

■ Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 410 F (210 C fan/gas mark 8).

2. Melt butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

3. Add the onions and sweat down until softened but not coloured, about 10 minutes. 4. Add the fennel, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Cook for

5-10 minutes on low heat to start softening the fennel, but don't soften too much as the gratin will be cooked again in the oven. It's just a lovely way to start the cooking process and get all the different flavours to know one another.

5. Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes.

6. Add milk and cream, and bring to a boil so the milk and cream start to reduce and thicken. You want the liquid to be quite thick.

7. Once the liquid has reduced, season with salt and pepper, take off the heat and add a couple of handfuls of the grated Berkswell. Stir in the lemon juice. Check the seasoning again.

8. Take a 12-by-8-by-2 1/2-inch (30-by-20-by-6-cm) roasting tray and put in a layer of the fennel mix. Season and sprinkle on a layer of Berkswell.

9. Keep on layering until the tray is full and all the mix is used up. Finish with Berkswell so it will go brown and crispy on top. 10. Bake about 40 minutes, until the fennel is completely cooked. If it looks like it is getting too brown, turn down the heat.

11. Serve with a crisp, fresh lemony salad.

Note: If you have a mixture of different cheese ends to use up, substitute them for the Berkswell. Jackson uses Parmesan, Lancashire, cheddar, Ticklemore, blue cheese or a mix of these.