Leek and Fennel Stoemp

Stoemp with leek is a classic, hearty side dish from Belgian cuisine. In this version, fennel and wholegrain mustard make for a creamy, lightly spiced stoemp that pairs wonderfully with grilled sausage, bacon or a piece of fried meat.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 10 minutes
Cooking: approx. 30 minutes
Total time: approx. 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 kg floury potatoes
• 3 medium leeks (white and light green part)
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 50 g butter
• 300 ml milk
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme (leaves stripped)
• 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Peel the potatoes and cut them into equal pieces.
• Split the leeks lengthways, rinse well under running water and slice into rings.
• Trim the stalks and fronds from the fennel bulb, remove any damaged outer leaves and the tough core if needed, and cut the bulb into small pieces.
• Peel and finely chop the onion.
• Peel the garlic and finely chop it.
• Strip the thyme leaves and roughly chop them if desired.

Method

1. Put the potatoes in a large pan, add lightly salted water until they are just covered and bring to the boil.
2. Cook for 20 minutes until tender. Drain and leave to steam dry briefly with the lid slightly ajar.
3. Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a large pan over a medium heat.
4. Gently fry the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
5. Add the leek rings and the fennel pieces, stir well and stew for 5–7 minutes over a medium heat until the vegetables are soft.
6. Do not let them brown too much; add a splash of water if it becomes too dry.
7. Add the steamed-dry potatoes to the pan with the stewed vegetables.
8. Pour in the milk and add the remaining butter.
9. Mash everything roughly into a creamy stoemp; leave some pieces of leek and fennel visible for a rustic texture.
10. Stir the wholegrain mustard through the stoemp.
11. Add the stripped thyme leaves.
12. Taste and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
13. Warm through gently, without letting it boil.
14. Serve the stoemp piping hot, as a hearty side dish with, for example, grilled sausage, fried bacon, a pork chop or a piece of fried meat.
15. If you like, let a small knob of butter melt over it just before serving for extra gloss and flavour.