RECIPE: Foxtail Millet, Fennel and Macadamia Patties with Fennel Cream Sauce

This recipe grew out of the Millet and Leek Patties I found in Wendy Cook's book, Foodwise.  I'm looking for other seasoning options.  My husband enjoyed this version, even though he isn't a huge fennel fan.  He wants me to make these with onions and cheesy-onion gravy, or peppers and goulash gravy, instead of the fennel.  He also wants them with egg, bacon and sausage gravy. 

Foxtail Millet, Fennel and Macadamia Patties with Tomato-Garlic-Fennel Cream Sauce

Makes 18 patties, Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup ghee, divided
• 3/4 cup foxtail millet (or 1 cup regular millet)
• 2 - 2.5 cups vegetable stock, hot
• 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
• 2 T. foxtail millet flakes 
• 2 cups cleaned and finely sliced young fennel, including the core but not the fibrous outer leaves
• 2-4 T. quark or cream cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• himalayan pink salt and freshly ground pepper 
• additional foxtail millet flakes to coat the patties, about 1 cup
  
• Tomato-Fennel Cream Sauce  (recipe below)
• OPT: pepper flakes (I used cobanero)
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Wash and pick over the millet carefully.  I place it in a fine mesh strainer and run water over it, then place it in a bowl of water so I can swish it around with my hands and then easily remove it from the water.  Allow to dry.  (I leave it to dry in the strainer over a bowl and a muddy-colored liquid drains out - you do need to wash thoroughly and drain thoroughly!)

Melt 2 T ghee in a heavy bottom pot (the grain will double in size so choose an appropriate size pot) and saute the millet for 2-3 minutes until the grains are coated (this keeps them from clogging together too much).

Pour on the hot vegetable stock.  Allow to come to a boil, then turn down the heat to low.  Cover the pot and do not stir during cooking.  After 20 minutes the stock should be absorbed and the grains plump and fluffy.  Taste them.  If they are still crunchy, add a little hot water and steam another 10 minutes

Transfer to a large bowl, add raw millet flakes (for binding), and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.  

While the millet is cooking, lightly roast the nuts in a dry frying pan, then grind them in a food processor, but not too finely - leave some texture.  (I use a hand held rotary cheese grinder.)

Heat 2 T. ghee on medium heat in a medium saute pan, add the fennel and stir to combine.  Cut a parchment round the same size as the pan, and lay it on top of the fennel. Cook until softened and lightly browned.

Add the fennel, nuts, and egg to the millet.  Add the quark - adding 4T will make them fragile and hard to manage, but they will taste delicious!  Adding 2T quark will make them more manageable but a little drier.  

Taste and adjust seasoning - if there is no salt in your stock you will need to add 1-2 teaspoons.  The mixture now should be easy to form into firm 2.5-3" patties.  Make 18.  

Place some millet flakes on a salad plate and coat the patties with the flakes.  Let the patties rest 10 minutes on a rack.  They should be cold now.  (I didn't let them rest, I put them directly into the hot pan.)

Fry in the remaining ghee for approximately 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. In my 11" saute pan I was able to fry 8-9 patties at one time.  Wipe out the pan between batches so the flakes that fall off don't burn.   This double sided clamp spatula was invaluable to flip them since they are delicate and want to fall apart!

                                               Frying millet patties in my 11" saute pan
 

Roasted Tomato-Fennel Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-4 T. EVOO
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. minced onion
• 2 t. tomato paste 
• 1/4 t. rosemary, crushed to powder
• 1/4 t. thyme, crushed to powder 
• 1/4 t. salt 
• 2 cups cleaned and finely sliced fennel
  
• 2 T. ghee
  
• 1 t. fennel seeds
• pinch wild fennel pollen
  
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 T. tomato paste
  
• 1 T. lemon juice
• salt and white pepper to taste
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a small dry saute pan, toast the fennel seeds until light brown.  Cool and grind (I use a mortar and pestle).

Add the EVOO to the pan and heat on low.  Add the garlic and cook very slowly until it's light brown.  Strain the oil into a small bowl and reserve the garlic.  Pour the garlic oil back into the pan and saute the onion, also on low until translucent.  Add the tomato paste, herbs and salt, and stir to combine.  Add the garlic, breaking it up slightly.

In a medium saute pan, heat the ghee on medium-high.  Add the fennel and saute until soft and medium brown.  Stir in the ground fennel seeds and the fennel pollen.  Stir in the tomato-onion-garlic mixture.  Add the cream and the lemon juice, adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper, and bring to a boil.  

We like this chunky, but you can use an immersion blender to create a smooth sauce if you prefer.