Braised Leeks With White Wine

• จำนวนที่เสิร์ฟ: 4
• เวลาทำ: 30 minutes
• เวลารวม: 1.5 hours

ส่วนผสม

3 large leeks - trim the ends and remove any outer layers full of dirt. Cut into 1-2’’ pieces

1 teaspoon of tarragon leaves - left whole

4 tablespoons of butter - divided

3 anchovy filets

1 teaspoon whole fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt - divided

3 fresh bay leaves

วิธีทำ

Cut and trim the leeks and then place the pieces into a bowl of water. Rinse them in the water and then let them sit for 5 minutes in the cold water to remove any grit. Now take them out and let them sit on a paper towel standing upright. This will allow any remaining grit to drain on to the paper towel. Dry the tops with a paper towel.

Using around 1/8 tablespoon of the butter, lightly butter a baking dish. You want to choose one that will snugly fit the leeks. If you have to cut some of the larger ones in half to make them fit more snugly, do so. You don’t want the leeks swimming in here. Sprinkle a very small amount of salt on the bottom, 1/8 a teaspoon or a scant pinch, and then arrange the leeks in the roasting tray so that different thicknesses are next to each other. It should be uniformly not uniform. Sprinkle another scant 1/8 teaspoon of salt over the tops. Now arrange the whole tarragon leaves over the tops of the leeks.

Now on to the cream sauce. Add 3 tablespoon of butter to a small pot, with the anchovies and thyme. Cook on a medium heat until the anchovies are melted and the thyme stops crackling. The anchovies should be completely dissolved. Now add in the white wine, cream and another scant pinch of salt. That’s done and you can pour it directly over the tops of the leeks. I then tuck the bay leaves in and around the leeks. Dot with the remaining butter.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. I like to place the roasting tray inside another tray in case any of the cream mixture boils over. Cream in a hot oven is not fun to clean. Cover tightly with foil and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Now remove the foil cover and turn the heat up on the oven to 400 degrees F. Cook uncovered for another 30-35 minutes. The tops should be a lovely golden brown but not burned. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes so that the leeks can soak up some remaining liquid. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

You can serve them directly from the tray you baked them in. These can either be a side dish for roast chicken, fish, pork or steak OR they can be served as a light lunch. You can serve this as a main course with some crusty bread and a soup and everyone will be happy. I can’t tell you how much I loved making these.