Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit (218 Celsius) and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 9 1/2 inch (24 centimeters) gratin or casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Using your hands or a brush, spread one tablespoon of olive oil all over the parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 2

Cut the fennel fronds off the bulb and chop the herbaceous parts to yield about 1 tablespoon. Set aside. Trim the top of the fennel and just a little off the base. You'll want to keep the fennel in tact at the base as much as possible so that the wedges won't fall apart. Cut fennel in half from top to bottom, then slice in 1/4 inch (25 millimeters) wedges placing the wedges close together but not touching on the sheet pan. Brush wedges, throughly with remaining olive oil (you may have some olive oil left over and this will vary depending on the size of the fennel). Roast in oven for 30-35 minutes, checking on them at about 25 minutes. They should caramelize (turn a darker color but not burn). Some will be lighter in color, others will caramelize more-so than others. This is okay. Overall, they need to be tender.

Step 3

While the fennel is roasting, cook the brown rice according to package directions. Add the cooked brown rice to a medium mixing bowl (it's okay if it cools off - but resist to make it a day ahead as the rice tends to dry out in the fridge. The moisture from fresh coked rice adds creamyness to this dish).

Step 4

In a large sauté pan add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, spreading them out in a single layer as best you can and stir only occassionally, about every two minutes for 9-10 minutes. We want them to sear. Add the onion in with the mushrooms and sauté for about 4-7 minutes or until the onions are softened.

Step 5

Add the mushroom/onion mixture to the mixing bowl with the rice. Mix in the beans, Gruyere, zest of 1/2 a lemon, 2 tsp of the minced fennel fronds, juice of one lemon, broth or wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Taste to adjust seasoning as needed. Spoon into prepared gratin or casserole dish.

Step 6

To make the crust, in a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, dijon, parmesan, pinch of salt and zest of 1/2 a lemon. Set aside.

Step 7

Reduce oven temperature to 400 Fahrenheit (204 Celsius). Arrange fennel wedges over the top of the rice mixture, flipping each wedge over so that the darkest caramelized side is up, shingling if needed to fit all the fennel on top. Spread the bread crumbs evenly over the gratin. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and gratin is warmed through. Check the gratin half way through baking to make sure the breadcrumbs aren't getting too dark. If so, lay a piece of foil over the gratin.  *You can see the difference in the blog post photos and video below the difference in roasting and baking just a bit longer for darker breadcrumbs and fennel. You can also broil the gratin 1-2 minutes for a darker crust.

Step 8

Sprinkle remaining cut fennel fronds over the top. Serve with lemon wedges and more parmesan if desired.

Step 9

Store in covered container for up to three days. When reheating, add a few teaspoons of water and cover. Reheat at 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius) for about 20 minutes.