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Slow-braised spring vegetables with goat’s curd, bruschetta and gremolata
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 100ml good peppery extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery, finely chopped large handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 whole bulb Florence fennel (about 250g)
- 200g small shallots, peeled
- 500g Jersey Royal potatoes,
- scrubbed and sliced into ‘coins’
- 450g French beans, topped but not tailed
- 2 large handfuls spinach
For the gremolata
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- small handful parsley
- very finely chopped
For the bruschetta
- 8 small slices rustic baton
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 200g organic goat’s curd
Method
Set a large saucepan over a gentle heat and pour in 3tbsp of oil. Add the onion, garlic, celery and parsley. Cut the fennel in half lengthways. Chop half of it quite finely and add to the pan. Cut the other half into thin slices (this is for texture and appearance). Cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the shallots, potato slices, remaining fennel and green beans. Season, and pour in the remaining olive oil. Add enough water to barely cover the vegetables and cook slowly, for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and beautifully flavoured.
Mix all the ingredients for the gremolata together.
Toast the bread, drizzle with olive olive oil and rub with the garlic. Spoon neat little mounds of the goat’s curd onto the bruschetta.
Divide the vegetables between each of four large, deep soup or pasta plates. Top with the bruschetta, scatter over a little gremolata and serve.
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