Crunchy Leek & Potato Gratin with Fennel and Orange Salad

Crunchy Leek and Potato Gratin served with a Fennel and Orange Salad Recipe Type: Vegan option Author: By kind permission of Denise Phillips, Jewish chef and food writer Prep time: 25 mins Cook time: 50 mins Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Serves: 6 I love the combination of this delicious vegetarian dish; leeks, red onion and spinach with a sliced potato and walnut topping. It is also ideal for those on a gluten free diet. Served with the orange and fennel salad it makes a complete meal. When preparing leeks, ensure that you trim the root end and coarse top. The easiest way to clean leeks is to slit them lengthways and rinse under cold running water to remove any grit. I used the food processor to slice the potatoes, which certainly put some speed into its creation, and if time is of the essence you can cook it in advance and reheat later. The salad brings both colour and texture to the dish and requires no last minute adjustments so that serving is a breeze! This recipe is perfect for lunch or supper and will freeze. Ingredients 3 leeks – trimmed and sliced 1 red onion – peeled and sliced 250 g leaf spinach – cooked and well drained 900 g potatoes – finely sliced 3 cloves garlic – peeled and finely chopped 2 cm root ginger – peeled and finely chopped 100 ml vegetable stock 50 ml double cream/soya cream Salt and freshly ground black pepper [i]For the topping[/i] 25 g Parmesan cheese – grated (optional) 50 g walnuts – roughly chopped [i]For the salad[/i] 4 oranges – peeled and cut into segments 1 orange pepper – roughly chopped 2 fennel bulbs – roughly chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon honey/agave salt and freshly ground black pepper Instructions Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6. Place half of the sliced leeks and half of the sliced potato into a large casserole dish. Add onion, cooked spinach and season with the garlic, ginger and salt and freshly ground black pepper. Layer another row of the sliced leek and sliced potato so that the potato is on top. Pour over the vegetable stock and cream. Season again and bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes. Remove the gratin from the oven and sprinkle over the grated Parmesan and chopped walnuts. Return the dish to the oven for a final 10 minutes or until the potato is cooked. Mix the olive oil and honey/agave together. Place the orange segments, orange pepper and fennel in a salad bowl. Dress the salad just before serving. [i]To serve the stylish way[/i]: Slice a portion of gratin onto a large plate with a portion of orange and fennel salad to the side. 2.2.1 For more delicious recipes, and details of Denise’s cookery classes, please visit the Denise’s Kitchen website . All classes can be tailored for vegetarians. Denise’s Kitchen Tel : 01923 836 456 Email : denise@jewishcookery.com Web : www.jewishcookery.com