Buttery Leeks With Parmesan And Thyme Food

BUTTERED LEEKS

Steps:

• The day before you want to serve this dish, cut the leeks from top to root and wash thoroughly under cold running water. Thinly slice them on the diagonal and put into plastic bags and chill until ready to cook.
• To serve, put a large pan over a medium heat, add the butter and let it melt over the base of the pan. Add the leeks and plenty of seasoning and stir to coat in the butter. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan and cook the leeks gently for about 15 minutes, stirring half way through until they are tender. Serve with extra butter and a sprinkling of thyme leaves.

ROASTED CHICKEN BREAST WITH PANCETTA, LEEKS AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, skin removed, in a bowl. Trim and wash a large leek, remove the outer leaves, then slice it into 0.5cm/¼ inch pieces. Add these to the bowl with the leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a good lug of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a small swig of white wine and toss together. Place your leek and flavourings from the bowl into the tray, then wrap the chicken breast in 4 slices of pancetta. This will not only flavour the chicken but also protect it while it cooks. Try and bend the sides of the tray in towards the chicken so the leeks don't burn during cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, place a couple of whole thyme sprigs on top and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

SWEET LEEK CARBONARA

Steps:

• Trim, wash and finely slice the leeks. Peel and finely slice the garlic and pick the thyme leaves, then place in a large casserole pan on a medium heat with the butter and 1 tablespoon of oil.
• Once sizzling, stir in the leeks and 400ml of water, then cover and simmer gently over a low heat for 40 minutes, or until sweet and soft, stirring occasionally. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
• When the leeks are almost done, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water.
• Toss the drained pasta into the leek pan, then remove from the heat and wait 2 minutes for the pan to cool slightly while you finely grate the cheese and beat it with the egg (if the pan's too hot, it'll scramble; get it right and it'll be smooth, silky and deliciously elegant).
• Loosen the egg mixture with a splash of reserved cooking water, then pour over the pasta, tossing vigorously (the egg will cook in the residual heat).
• Season to absolute perfection, going a little OTT on the pepper. Adjust the consistency with extra cooking water, if needed, and finish with a little stroke of cheese. Fantastic served with a glass of cold Italian white wine.

PARMESAN ROASTED LEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cut the root and dark green tops off of the leeks. Cut in half lengthwise and wash between the layers to remove any dirt/debris.
• Place leeks cut side down in an oven-safe pan with ½ cup water. Cover and simmer on the stove top on low for about 5 minutes or until slightly tender.
• Drain any water and flip leeks over so they are cut side up.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with melted butter and parmesan. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until leeks are tender and golden.

BRAISED LEEKS WITH PARMESAN

Steps:

• Cut the ends and the dark green leaves of the leeks, and cut in half lengthwise. Place in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then run under the faucet to remove any sand that may be lingering in between the layers. Peel off thick outer layers and discard.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet that will accommodate all of the leeks in one layer. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, and cook, shaking the pan and moving them around with tongs, until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the leeks over and cook on the other side until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the leeks back over so that the cut side is down. Peel off the outer layers if they are papery, as they will not soften when the leeks are braised. Pour in the wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, then add enough water or stock to come just to the top of the leeks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the leeks are thoroughly tender when pierced with a knife. Most of the liquid should have evaporated by this time. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
• Transfer the leeks to an oiled ovenproof pan if your skillet cannot go under the broiler. Using tongs, turn the leeks so that the flat side is up. If there is still a lot of liquid in the pan, pour it off. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the leeks. Place under the hot broiler until the cheese has melted and is beginning to color. Remove from the heat and serve.

BUTTERED LEEKS

Steps:

• When the leeks are trimmed and washed, cut them all the way through vertically, then chop them into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Now place a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the butter and let it melt - it needs to lightly coat the surface of the pan. Now add the leeks and some seasoning, stir them around, then turn the heat down to low and let them cook gently for about 5 minutes without a lid, stirring them 2 or 3 times. There will be quite a lot of juice that collects in the pan, so use a draining spoon to serve.

CARAMELIZED LEEKS BRAISED IN A WINE AND THYME BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim the leeks by removing the outer layer and most of the dark green tops. You should be left with only the white and light green parts. Halve them lengthwise, making sure to leave the root end intact. Place the trimmed leeks in a large bowl of cold water and swish them around to remove the grit and dirt from the many layers. (Leave the leeks in the water for a few minutes - this will loosen up the dirt). Remove the leeks from the water and drain them on a kitchen towel or paper towels.
• Place a 12" non-stick skillet over medium heat (the skillet should have a lid which you will need later.) When the skillet is hot, add two tablespoons of butter and when the butter melts, sprinkle the sugar, ¼ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper evenly over the bottom of the skillet. Next, add the leeks, cut side down in a single layer. Cook the leeks until they become golden brown and caramelized. This will take 5-6 minutes depending on the heat and the kind of skillet you are using.
• To the skillet, add the wine, broth, fresh thyme sprigs and some salt & pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, carefully turning them once or twice (this step is not absolutely necessary). The leeks are done when they can be pierced easily with a knife. If they need a longer time braising or if your liquid has evaporated, add some more wine and broth.
• Remove the leeks from the skillet and place on a serving dish. Cover them to keep them warm. Simmer the remaining liquid in the skillet over medium heat, for a minute or so, until it is thickened. Stir in the remaining 1-tablespoon of butter and the lemon juice. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. Spoon the sauce over the leeks; sprinkle some pomegranate seeds (this is optional) and serve warm.

BRAISED LEEKS WITH PARMESAN CHEESE

Steps:

• Pull off any yellow or withered leaves from the leeks. Trim away the roots from the bulbous end. Do not cut off the green tops. Cut each leek lengthwise in two. Wash the leeks very thoroughly under cold running water, spreading the tops with your hands to make sure any hidden bits of grit are washed away. Put the leeks in a pan just broad or long enough so that they can lie flat and straight. Add the butter, salt and enough water to cover, put a lid on the pan, and turn on the heat to medium low. Cook until the thickest part of the leeks feels tender when prodded with a fork, about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the vegetable's youth and freshness. Turn them from time to time while they cook. When done, uncover the pan, turn up the heat to high, and boil away all the watery juices in the pan. In the process, the leeks should become lightly browned. Before removing from heat, add the grated Parmesan, turn the leeks over once or twice, then transfer to a warm platter and serve at once.

BRAISED LEEKS WITH PARMESAN

Steps:

• Heat a broiler-proof skillet over medium-low heat.
• Trim the leeks, cut them in half lengthwise and quarter them.
• Melt butter in skillet. Add leek quarters, thyme and enough stock to almost cover the leeks. Add a pinch of salt.
• Simmer briskly. You want to ultimately boil away all the liquid, leaving only the butter behind. Pay attention. You don't want the butter to brown at the end. This takes 15-20 minutes.
• Sprinkle the cheese over the leeks. Broil briefly to brown and melt the cheese.

CHICKPEA, LEEK & PARMESAN SOUP

Steps:

• Trim, separate and rinse leeks.
• Slice the leeks into fine shreds and place into soup pot along with the butter, garlic & thyme, stir, cover and let slowly cook until the leeks become softened slightly.
• Add the chickpeas to the leeks with the chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil then simmer for about half and hour or until the potatoes are well cooked.
• If the soup is to thick, thin it down with a little boiling water.
• Break up the chickpeas & pieces of potato to thicken it slightly. Season the soup with salt and pepper
• Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and drizzle on some olive oil.

BUTTERY LEEKS WITH PARMESAN AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim dark-green tops and root ends from leeks and discard; halve lengthwise. Remove thick, tough outer layers (2 to 4 total, depending on size), discarding or reserving for another use. Thoroughly wash and drain leeks, keeping them intact. Arrange in a snug single layer, cut sides up, in a broiler-safe baking dish or skillet.
• In a small saucepan, boil wine 30 seconds. Add broth and return to a boil; season generously with salt and pepper. Pour mixture over leeks, then sprinkle with butter and thyme. Cover dish with parchment-lined foil.
• Roast 45 minutes. Uncover and continue roasting until leeks are very soft and broth mixture is reduced by half, 20 to 22 minutes.
• Switch oven to broil. Sprinkle leeks with cheese. Broil 6 to 8 inches from heating element until bubbly and browning in places, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm, with some of braising liquid.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat a large braiser or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the Brussels sprouts and cook, tossing occasionally, until they begin to brown on the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the leeks and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, tossing until the vegetables are well coated in the flour, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the stock and cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the sprouts are tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan, mustard and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Top with the crispy onions and bake until the onions are browned and the casserole is bubbly, about 20 minutes.

SCALLOPS WITH LEEKS AND LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter.
• Add leeks and 2 tablespoons water.
• Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until leeks are tender, stirring now and then.
• Season and set aside.
• Can be made a day in advance.
• Cover and refrigerate.
• In a large saucepan, boil vermouth, shallots, lemon juice,and thyme 25 minutes, or until reduced to 1 cup.
• Strain sauce and set aside.
• Season scallops.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute scallops about 3 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Keep warm.
• In a skillet over medium heat, rewarm the leek mixture, stirring now and then.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer, gradually add the 1/2 c butter a piece or two at a time, whisking until melted.
• Remove from heat and season.
• Spoon leek mixture onto plates.
• Spoon warm scallops onto leeks.
• Drizzle sauce over scallops and sprinkle with chopped tomatoes.
• Serve.

MASHED POTATOES AND LEEKS WITH THYME

Steps:

• In an 8-quart kettle combine potatoes with cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring water to a boil and simmer potatoes until tender, 35 to 45 minutes.
• While potatoes are cooking, in a heavy skillet cook leeks in 4 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
• Drain potatoes in a colander and return to kettle. Dry potatoes over low heat, shaking kettle,1 minute. Cool potatoes just until they can be handled and peel. While potatoes are still warm, force through a ricer into a large bowl. In a small saucepan heat milk and cream until mixture just comes to a boil. Stir leeks and milk mixture into potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Spread potato mixture in a buttered 4-quart shallow baking dish. Chill potato mixture, covered, 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Dot potato mixture with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and bake, covered with foil, in middle of oven until heated through and butter is melted, about 15 minutes.

RISOTTO WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place squash on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast until tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.
• Bring stock to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to very low; cover and keep stock warm.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in another heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and sauté until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot stock; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 25 minutes longer. Add roasted squash, cream, Parmesan cheese and sage; stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.