Braised fennel and butter beans with gremolata oil and cheese crisps

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan with a drizzle of olive oil and, when sizzling, add the fennel wedges. Cook over a medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes until golden on one side, then flip and repeat on the other cut side. Remove from the pan, leaving the butter behind, turn down the heat and add the shallots. Cook for another 6-7 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook for 3 minutes more.
2. Turn up the heat, return the fennel and any resting juice to the pan, add the wine, then bubble until almost completely reduced. Add the chopped tomatoes with a tinful of water, stir, season, then bring to a simmer. Add the butter beans with the rosemary, oregano and olives and simmer gently, stirring every now and then, for 30-40 minutes until reduced and thick. The fennel should be soft enough to cut with a dinner knife.
3. Meanwhile, make the gremolata oil. Whizz the parsley, garlic, lemon juice and zest together with the 75ml olive oil in a mini chopper, food processor or pestle and mortar, until it forms a rough paste. Remove to a bowl and stir in enough extra olive oil to loosen to spooning consistency. Season to taste and set aside.
4. For the cheese crisps, heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Finely grate the cheese all over the baking paper in a thin, even layer, then cook for 8-10 minutes until pale golden and crisp. Remove, leave to cool and harden, then break into shards.
5. Once the fennel is soft, taste and season. Divide the veg among bowls, then dollop over some gremolata oil and scatter with a few cheese crisps. Serve with the rest of the crisps and gremolata oil, and crusty bread.