The classic gratin preparation gets a springy touch with the addition of sweet roasted fennel and punchy artichoke hearts. Herbaceous and citrusy, New Deal Gin No. 1 cuts through the richness of this creamy, cheesy dish and compliments the garnish of lemon zest and fresh fennel fronds. Serve with a big green salad and some good bread for an elegant lunch or dinner. And don’t forget the cocktails! We recommend pairing this dish with our silky grapefruit gin sour we named after Prince’s Pink Cashmere.

This recipe comes to us from our friend Carlin St. John of Get Together PDX. Specializing in catering, events, collabs & pop-ups, Get Together PDX provides fantastic food and thoughtful details to create special gatherings and dining experiences. Follow @gettogetherpdx and contact Carlin with catering inquiries at gettogetherpdx@gmail.com.

Ingredients

• 2 medium fennel bulbs (with stalks and fronds if possible)
• 3 leeks
• 4 cloves of garlic
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 TBS kosher salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• ¼ cup New Deal Gin No. 1
• 1 can (14 oz) of quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Chopped fennel fronds (or fresh parsley) for garnish

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Prep the fennel: pluck some fronds (the feathery greens on the stalks) to use for garnish. Remove the stalks and discard or save for another use. Slice fennel bulbs in half lengthwise and remove the outer layer and trim the root end if blemished or dirty. Slice each halved bulb lengthwise in ½ inch slices.
3. Trim the dark green tops off the leeks and slice in half lengthwise then cut into ½ inch thick half moons. (Note that leeks can trap dirt between their layers and you may want to rinse again after slicing).
4. Roughly chop the garlic and combine with fennel and leeks in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Transfer vegetables to a sheet tray, using two trays if needed to ensure vegetables are not overcrowded or overlapping
6. Roast for 20 minutes or until leeks are starting to turn brown in some spots and fennel is soft
7. Remove from oven and combine all veggies onto one sheet tray if you used two for the initial roast (it won’t matter if it’s crowded now)
8. Pour ¼ cup New Deal Gin No. 1 over vegetables and return to oven for 5 minutes
9. Transfer vegetables to a 9×13” baking dish and add artichoke hearts and pour heavy cream evenly over the mixture
10. Combine grated Gruyere and panko bread crumbs in a small bowl then sprinkle mixture evenly over the vegetables.
11.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling
12. Turn the broiler to high and broil for 3-5 minutes until the top is very crisp and evenly browned.
13. Top gratin with lemon zest and fennel fronds (or fresh parsley) and serve warm.