RECIPE: Coddled Leek, Garlic, and Fennel Dip

I have been making, and LOVING, Ottolenghi's Coddled Leeks with Beans for several years now, and every time I make them I'm amazed by how soft the leeks become.  For Friendsgiving this year, I decided to add them to one of my favorite dip recipes, Roasted Fennel and Garlic Dip.  I made this up so there's no original.  Every time I make this, I forget to take a photo!  I'll take a photo tomorrow....

Coddled Leek, Garlic, and Fennel Dip

with fried leek garnish

Makes 3 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large leeks
• 2 large heads of fennel
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup ghee, divided
• 1 t. roasted ground fennel seeds
• OPTIONAL: 1/4 t. wild fennel pollen
  
• 2 lemons
• Himalayan Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook the fennel*

1. Remove the stalks and any discolored and/or tough outer leaves, if present, from the fennel bulbs, then slice the bulb into 1/2" wide strips.
2. Wash the strips thoroughly and transfer the fennel to a medium saute pan.  Add 1 cup water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the water has evaporated and fennel is soft.  
3. Add 2 T. ghee to the pan and saute the fennel until lightly browned.  Cool and reserve. 

Coddle the leeks

1. While the fennel is cooking, remove the dark green leaves from the leeks, wash well, and then slice into 1/8" strips.  Dry them well and set them aside.
2. Clean the white and light green part of the leeks and slice into 1" pieces.  
3. Preheat oven to 350F.  Melt the 1/4 cup ghee in an 8" x 12" baking dish while the oven is preheating. (I made this in our toaster oven, which was exactly the right size,)
4. Once the ghee is melted, arrange the 1" leek pieces cut side up in the preheated baking dish and nestle the garlic between them.  Baste the tops with some of the melted ghee.  
5. Cover the top of the pan with a piece of parchment paper, then cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  (The parchment prevents the foil from touching the food.)
6. Remove the dish from the oven, remove the foil, and gently turn the leeks over using 2 forks or a pair of tongs.  Replace the foil cover and bake for another 30 minutes, until the leeks are completely soft.  (Yes, this is a pain, but I've tried cooking the leeks whole, lying on their side, and they become tough!) Cool.

Fry the leek tops

1. While the leeks are cooking, cover a medium plate with several layers of paper towels.  
2. Heat 2 T. ghee in a small saute pan over medium heat and add the sliced leek tops.  
3. Watch carefully and remove them the second they start to brown!  Drain them on the paper towels. I cook them in batches, and use a slotted spoon to remove them.  When they're all cooked, pour the pan contents through a fine mesh strainer collecting the ghee in a small bowl.  The leek flavored ghee can be spread on toast or otherwise used as a flavoring agent.
   

Make the dip

1. Combine the cooked fennel, coddled leeks and garlic, ground fennel, fennel pollen and 1 t. salt in a high powered blender.  
2. Zest the lemons, mince the zest, and add to the blender.  Puree.  
3. Juice the lemons and add lemon juice 2 T at a time until it tastes lemony but does not overpower the leeks and fennel.  Some lemons are bigger/tarter than others so proceed carefully.  
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve sprinkled with the fried leek tops.  Add them at the last minute so they don't get soggy.**

I love this dip with carrot dippers, especially if the dip is lemony. 

*I cook the fennel during the summer, when it's in season, and then freeze it, which greatly facilitates making this dip in the fall and winter.  I use one cup of frozen fennel for this recipe.

**Whenever I cook leeks, rather than throw out the dark green leaves, I fry them!  I roll the fried leeks in paper towels and store them in glass jars to use a a garnish all year.