baked fennel with gorgonzola

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 4 bulbs fennel, untrimmed
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 4 ounces blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• salt to taste

Recipe

• rinse fennel. trim off stems, and reserve about 1 cup of the tender green leaves. trim any bruises or dry looking areas from fennel. cut each bulb in half from stem through root end.
• lay fennel bulb pieces in a 10 inch frying pan, and add broth. cover, and bring to a boil on high heat. simmer until fennel is tender when pierced, 20 to 25 minutes. transfer fennel to a shallow casserole, 9 to 10 inched wide; lay cut side up.
• boil broth, uncovered, on high heat until reduced to about 1/2 cup. stir in about half the fennel leaves. spoon mixture evenly over fennel.
• mash cheese with bread crumbs. dot mixture evenly over fennel. if making ahead, cover and chill up to 1 day. also wrap remaining fennel leaves in a towel, seal in a plastic bag, and chill.
• bake casserole, uncovered, at 375 degrees f (190 degrees c) until cheese begins to brown and fennel is hot, about 20 minutes. tuck remaining leaves around fennel. season to taste with salt.