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Roast potatoes with fennel and porcini



I first made this when I was up in Vermont with the boys recently. We had it with grilled t-bone steaks and green beans.
I have made it again since and I really like the combination of flavours and the soft texture.

Ingredients

500g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
500g fennel bulbs tough outer layers and stalks removed
30g dried porcini soaked in 120ml hot water for 15 minutes
4 garlic cloves, 2 peeled and sliced, 2 peeled but left whole
Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 200 c

Drain the porcini, retaining the soaking liquid. Rinse gently in sieve under running tap to get rid of any grit. Strain the liquid through a sieve lined with kitchen paper

Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a thick-bottomed frying pan, add the porcini and the sliced garlic and fry gently until the garlic is beginning to brown. Season and pour in half the reserved soaking water. Simmer for 15 minutes, adding more water as it becomes absorbed. Remove from the heat when the porcini are soft and the mixture is still quite liquid.
Cut the fennel bulbs into six wedges. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 8 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to the porcini. Put the 2 whole garlic cloves in to the boiling water, add the fennel and cook for 6 minutes. Drain and stir into the potato and porcini mixture. Season and add 3tbs olive oil. Mix well together.

Place the potato mixture in a baking dish and bake for 30 mins or until the potatoes and fennel is soft.

Serve hot with a drizzle of oil.




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