Stuffed Gratinated Fennel

Peel the fennel shells if too hard, wash them and boil in boiling water for 7-10 minutes. They should be soft but not mushy. Let them cool.

Mash the boiled potato and mix it with the blended ham with fennel fronds, parmesan, fennel seeds, and pepper. Mix well.

Prepare the sauce: cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters, sauté the onion in extra virgin olive oil, add water to prevent burning, add the cherry tomatoes and soften them. Add the ready-made sauce, adjust the salt, and blend.

Prepare the béchamel: blend milk, flour, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook in a small saucepan, stirring until thickened, keeping it fairly liquid.

Assemble in the baking dish: sauce, béchamel, stuffed fennel, sauce, béchamel, parmesan.

Bake at 200°C for about 35 minutes until golden. If necessary, add water to the sides of the baking dish to facilitate cooking.