Leek reminds me of winter in France. When we lived in Paris, we’d do our fresh food shopping on weekends at the beautiful outdoor market at the Bastille, where we would come home with more produce than we could fit in the fridge. When December rolled around, tomatoes, eggplants and bell peppers would get replaced by all the veggies that made me want to make soups, casseroles, stews and other chilly evening dishes. Leeks almost always got a spot in our wicker basket. We used to make so many delicious recipes with it, from the typical French bistrot appetizer, “Poireaux Vinaigrette”, to cream of leek and potato soup. My favorite way of eating though has always been in a “gratin”, where they are cooked and then mixed with a light béchamel sauce before getting covered with grated cheese and popped into an oven. The end result is one of the most comforting vegetarian dishes I know.
Ingredients
- 6 leeks
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cornstarch or flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg, grated
- 2 tsp salt + more to taste
- Freshly grated pepper, to taste
- 1 cup cheddar, Swiss Gruyere, Comte or other hard cheese that melts well
- 2 tbsp bread crumbs
Instructions
- Rinse the links thoroughly and pat dry
- Cut off the dark green leaf ends and discard. You could also keep this for future stews and soups.
- Cut off the root end. Then, cut the leeks lengthwise in two.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Throw in the leeks, lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Drain the leeks well and set aside
- Make the béchamel sauce:
Melt butter over medium heat until bubbling. Whisk in the cornstarch and gradually pour in the milk while continuously whisking to make sure no lumps are formed. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. The mixture should be creamy like a thick liquid. If it is too thick, add more milk. Set aside. - Place the leeks in a large bowl and mix in the bechamel sauce until well combined. Transfer the leeks and sauce to a 9×12 oven-proof dish.
- Sprinkle with grated cheese, bread crumbs and with a little bit more pepper
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and bubbling
