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Kumurac - Rustic Bread And Fennel Stew Recipe
Recipe by Snezana Calic
Try Snezana Calic's Kumurac today!
- Steps
- Ingredients
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a baking tray
- For the Fennel Stew, remove the ends from one fennel and cut in half lengthways, reserve the ends for the Fennel Stew and the fronds for the fennel butter and garnishing. Remove the core from each.
- Drizzle with olive oil and salt and place the 2 halves onto the baking tray, cut side down. Roast for 75-90 minutes until tender and caramelised. Remove and set aside. Increase oven to 250° and place a pizza stone inside.
- Meanwhile prepare the Bread Dough. In a small bowl, mix the yeast, warm water, and sugar until the yeast dissolves completely. Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the yeast mixture and the olive oil to the flour mixture. Mix with your hands until combined and no dry parts remain – the dough will be sticky, this is normal. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and let the dough rest in a warm spot for 10 minutes.
- Lightly dust hands and perform a stretch and fold - pull one side of the dough up and fold it over. Cover and rest again for 10 minutes, repeat another stretch and fold. Allow to rest 10 minutes
- Then perform two coil folds - lifting the dough and tucking it under itself. Resting 10 minutes in between each fold. After the last coil fold, let the dough rise until it doubles in size.
- Tip the dough onto a well-floured surface. Use a dough scraper to cut it into small squares or rectangles for a rustic look. Cover with a towel and let rest for 10–15 minutes.
- Transfer the dough pieces to the hot pizza stone and bake for 10 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
- Whilst the dough is resting, prepare the Fennel Stew. Use half of the pancetta to line the base of a pressure cooker.
- Remove the ends of both fennel and chop 1 fennel head into quarters.
- Add the quartered fennel and all the fennel ends, including the green fronds from these two fennel to the pressure cooker.
- Add the carrot, parsnip, celeriac, garlic, salt and pepper with 1 litre of water. Cook with high pressure for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, finely dice the remaining pancetta. Add to a large sauté pan on a medium heat for 10 -12 minutes to render until crispy. Remove and set aside on paper towels, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Add the onions with a pinch of salt and sauté for 5 minutes until softened and lightly caramelised.
- Dice the potatoes and remaining fennel into 1cm cubes and add to the pan. If necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for 20-25 minutes until softened and slightly golden.
- Deglaze the skillet with the juice of the orange.
- When the pressure cooker has finished, release the steam. Strain the broth into a small saucepan. Reserve the soft pancetta at the bottom.
- Add 1 cup of the broth to the leeks and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the crispy pancetta. Cook a further 15 minutes until the liquid has mostly absorbed, and the mixture is creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside.
- Reduce the remaining broth in the saucepan for 10–15 minutes. Adjust with lemon juice, orange juice, salt and pepper. Keep warm until serving.
- For the Fennel Butter, mix all ingredients until smooth. Shape into quenelles or serve in a small dish alongside the bread.
- To serve, layer the soft, fall-apart pancetta from the pressure cooker onto each plate. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the fennel and potato mixture. Top with a roasted fennel heart. Garnish with a fennel frond.
- Serve with the reduced broth poured around the plate and pair with warm bread and fennel butter.
