Mark’s Creamed Leeks

This recipe is adapted from Midnight Chicken, the wonderful cookbook by Ella Risbridger*.  I discovered this cookbook at my local library and was instantly entranced by the combination of autobiography and inspiration.  Every day I find new gems, and I strongly recommend it!

This recipe takes ten minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook, with an additional five minutes finishing when you’re ready to serve.  They go brilliantly with a roast, or can be a main course in themselves with baked potatoes or risotto.  This quantity serves 4-6, depending on if they’re a side dish or a main course.

Ingredients:

3 large leeks, washed, cut lengthways, and then across
1-2 Tbsp of unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ tsp sea salt (or to taste)
8 oz block parmesan
2 Tbsp double cream;  actually, I used 2 Tbsp vegan cream cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1.   Prepare the leeks by running a sharp knife down the long side; open them out and wash under the cold tap until perfectly clean.

2.   Slice the leeks into fine almost-rings. Set a heavy, wide pan (Le Creuset is good) over a very low heat, and add a knob or two of butter.  Add the leeks, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes.  Pay close attention so that they don’t burn and go bitter.

3.   In the meantime, grate the Parmesan (or have someone grate it for you). Don’t skimp.

4.   After 15 minutes, taste the leeks:  they should have a bit of bite to them but mostly be tender and luscious.  At this point, you can take them off the heat if you have other things to attend to.  Cover and let stand on the stove with the heat off.

5.   When you’re about five minutes away from serving, return the leeks to a low heat, and add the cream and Parmesan. Stir well, and grind plenty of black pepper over the top once the cheese has melted.

6.   Serve at once, while the cheese is still gooey.

If any are left over, use the leeks as sandwich filling with extra pepper and horseradish. You can also stir any leftovers into homemade macaroni-cheese.

Here is the .pdf version:  Mark’s Creamed Leeks.

 

*  Midnight Chicken (and other recipes worth living for) by Ella Risbridger, ISBN 978-1-4088-6776-1, published 2019 by Bloomsbury Publishing, available in libraries, bookshops, and amazon.com.