Fennel casserole

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 bulbs of fennel
• 1 onion(s)
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 250 g minced meat
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 200 g light cream
• 2 eggs
• 200 g sheep’s cheese
• some olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

with minced meat and feta cheese

Wash and prepare the fennel: Remove the stalks and set aside, halve the bulbs lengthwise. Deseed each stalk with a V-shaped cut, loosen the outer leaves and also reserve them. Cut the stalks into thin slices, remove the woody fibers from the outer leaves by peeling them off, and then dice them. Remove a little of the bottom end from the remaining fennel halves, then halve them again. Now dice the onion and sauté in a pan with a little oil until translucent. Tip: If available, add a few fennel seeds. Then add the leftover fennel and fry briefly. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. After about 5 minutes of cooking, add the fennel quarters and cook for another 10 minutes. While the fennel is cooking, brown the minced meat with the thyme in a little oil. Finally, add the tomato paste, fry briefly, and finally season with a pinch of salt. Remove the fennel quarters from the pot and place them in a deep casserole dish. Mix the remaining fennel with about 3/4 of the crème légère and purée thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, then let cool. I transfer the mixture to a separate bowl and place it in cold water. When the mixture is only lukewarm—test with your finger—beat in the eggs and pour everything into the casserole dish. Add the minced meat and spread the remaining crème légère over it with a teaspoon. Finally, crush the feta cheese and crumble it over the top. Bake at approximately 170°C fan-assisted oven or 200°C top/bottom heat for about 40 minutes, until the feta cheese begins to brown. The baking time may vary depending on the oven.