The trick to a great gratin is uniformly sliced vegetables. Spend minimal time and energy by prepping this fantastic sweet and savory side dish with a mandoline.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Use a mandoline to cut 3 fennel bulbs horizontally and 3 peeled large carrots diagonally into ¼-inch slices.
In an oiled shallow baking dish, layer a third of the fennel, then half of the carrots. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon orange zest. Top with another third of the fennel, the remaining carrots, more salt and pepper, then the remaining fennel.
Sprinkle the top with ½ cup freshly grated pecorino, ? cup panko breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons fresh thyme. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the vegetables are tender and the top is golden brown, a little more than 1 hour. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Dee Ryan is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine who also pens Just Five.
This article appears in Guide to the Holidays 2017.