Fennel & tomato gratin

• olive oil↗3 tbsp tbsp
• heads of fennel↗4

  trimmed (fronds kept) and cut into thin wedges

• garlic cloves↗2

  chopped

• can chopped tomato400g g
• white bread↗85g g
• parmesan↗50g g

  grated

• handful fennel↗

  fronds

• lemon↗zest 1

  zest 1

• black olive↗handful

  pitted

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a saucepan, then add the fennel, cover and stew over a low heat for 15 mins. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 10‑20 mins until the fennel is soft (the timing depends on how thick the fennel is). Add the tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins until the fennel is coated in a thick tomato sauce. Tip everything into a shallow gratin dish. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

2. 2

   While the fennel is cooking, tip all the topping ingredients except the olives into a food processor and blitz to crumbs. Add the olives and pulse until chopped, but not blended. Scatter the crumbs generously over the fennel, drizzle with the rest of the oil, then bake for 20 mins until golden.