FENNEL AND BERKSWELL GRATIN

❚ 200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter

❚ 2 tbsp 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

❚ 75 ml (3 fl oz) white wine

❚ 75 ml (3 fl oz) full-fat milk

❚ 75 ml (3 fl oz) double cream

❚ 250 g (9 oz) Berkswell cheese, grated (see note)

❚ 1/2 lemon, juiced

❚ Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 210°C fan (450°F/gas mark 8).

2. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over a 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 a 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. Now add the white wine and bring to the boil. Cook for a few minutes.

6. Add the milk and cream and bring to the 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 30 x 20 x 6 cm (12 x 8 x

2 1/2 in) rectangular roasting tray and put in a layer of the fennel mix. Season and sprinkle over 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 for around 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.

Serves: 6–8

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