Potato Fennel Gratin

Preheat the oven to 325 F while you peel and chop your potato and fennel and have them on standby in two separate bowls.

In a small quart sauce pan heat the milk and take a peeled onion that you quickly chop in four pieces and add that to the milk with the 6 peeled whole garlic cloves and all the spices ( do not forget a dash of salt and pepper). Bring it to a slight boil letting it cook for about 5-10 minutes before shutting the heat.

In a small iron cast pan place 1/2 tbsp olive olive and cover the pan. Begin to layer the potato slices in a circular motion filling in the gaps between the potatoes with pieces of fennel until you have at least 3 overlapping circles in the pan. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil on the potato and fennel pieces and season with salt and pepper.

Place the potato and fennel aside and move back to your milk and onion mix. Take a blender and place the entire contents of the boiled milk and pulse on high for 30 seconds. Add the sour cream to the blender and blend on high for about 1 min or until everything is something incorporated. Take the mixture and pour it over the iron cast pan with the potatoes and place in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Once the gratin has set and is cooked, you can either serve right away or top with a bit of gruyere cheese and place it under a broiled for 2 minutes to char the top and add a nutty flavor.