Cheesy Potato and Fennel Layer is a modern Irish recipe for a classic accompaniment of parboiled potatoes and fennel baked in a blend of eggs and cheese with a breadcrumb topping. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Irish version of: Cheesy Potato and Fennel Layer.
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During the 17th and 18th centuries, saffron was extensively grown in Cornwall. In the 18th century, saffron was imported into Ireland, primarily as a yellow dye for tweed. Of course, being a spice some of the saffron harvest found its way into the kitchen and it was commonly used in baking. This classic yeasted cake is a descendant of those recipes. You can use my home-made ricotta cheese recipe to prepare your own.
Ingredients:
675g potatoes (scrubbed but not peeled)
450g small fennel bulbs
2 eggs, beaten
225g ricotta cheese (or soft goat's cheese)
5 spring onions, chopped
85g Gruyère cheese, finely grated
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil, add the potatoes and boil for about 25 minutes or until cooked through but still firm. Drain and set aside until cool enough to be handled then peel and slice thinly.
In the meantime, trim the fennel (reserve any fronds) then slice the fennel bulbs and boil in a pan of salted water for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander.
Chop the fennel fronds finely then beat into the eggs and season to taste. Beat the ricotta cheese until smooth then beat in the egg mixture.
Arrange 1/3 of the potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Cover with half the sliced fennel then spread half the ricotta mixture on top. Sprinkle over 1/3 of the spring onions and the Gruyère cheese. Repeat the layering, then cover with the remaining sliced potatoes.
Now mix the remaining spring onions and Gruyère cheese with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle this mixture over the final potato layer.
Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for 30 minutes, or until piping hot through and the topping is golden.
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