Cabbage, Fennel & Lentil Pasticcio

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter plus more for greasing baking dish
• 1 large shallot
• 2 leafy sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 2 medium fennel bulbs trimmed (keeping root ends intact)
• 1 medium head Savoy cabbage
• 1 lemon
• fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• pinch chili peppers
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 oz good quality Gruyere cheese grated on large holes of box grater (21/2) cups
• 8 X 8 baking dish
• Step 1. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add shallot, thyme,bay leaf cook stirring occasionally 3 minutes. Add lentils, tomato paste and cook stirring 1 minute more. Add broth, bring to a gentle simmer,cook adding water if needed to keep lentils covered by 1/2 inch until lentils are tender, 35-40 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare fennel and cabbage.
• Step 2. Carefully cut and X in root ends of fennel about 1 inch deep. Cut cabbage in half lengthwise, then cup out and discard cores. Separate leaves.
• Step 3. Finely grate lemon zest then cut lemon in half crosswise. Cut 2 slices from 1 lemon half juice remaining lemon. Bring 2 large pots of salted water to a boil. Add fennel and lemon slices to 1 pot (reserve zest and juice) boil until fennel is tender 8-10 min. Meanwhile submerge cabbage leaves in second pot of boiling water cook covered until tender 8-10 minutes. Drain fennel and cabbage. When cool enough to handle thinly slice fennel. Mark small tear in rib ends of cabbage leaves to help leaves lay flat.
• Step 4. Heat oven to 350 with rack in middle . When lentils are ready remove and discard thyme and bay leaf then reserving liquid, drain. In the bowl of a food processor combine lentils 1/2 cup of cooking liquid lemon zest and juice puree until combined. Transfer puree to a bowl and stir in 3/4 tsp salt, mascarpone, parsley, chili flakes and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste.

1. Step 5. Grease 8 X 8 inch baking dish with butter.
2. Set aside heaping 1/2 cup Gruyere. Spread 1/2 cup lentil mixture in the bottom of the dish. Top with a layer of cabbage leaves, overlapping leaves slightly and positioning them so that outer edges fold up and ove sides of dish by 1 or 2 inches.
3. Step 6. Spread 1/4 of the remaining lentils over the top, layer with 1/4 of the fennel slices, then sprinkle with 1/4 of the remaining Gruyere. Repeat with remaining ingredients ending with a layer of cabbage (save any leftover cabbage for another use.) Fold cabbage leave edges over the top, then top with reserved Gruyere. Dot with remaining butter.
4. Step 7. Set baking dish on a baking pan. Bake the casserole until golden and bubbly, tenting with foil if top browns too quickly 50-55 minutes. Let rest 20 minutes before slicing, serve warm.

butter, shallot, thyme, bay leaf, dried lentils, tomato, vegetable broth, root, head savoy cabbage, lemon, salt, mascarpone cheese, parsley, chili peppers, freshly ground black pepper, gruyere cheese, in, carefully, lemon zest then, rack

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/cabbage-fennel-lentil-pasticcio-52704911 (may not work)