Cod Steaks On A Bed Of Creamy Leeks Potato And Bacon Food

COD WITH BACON, LETTUCE & PEAS

Steps:

• Heat the sunflower oil in a medium non-stick frying pan. Add the bacon, shallot or onion, and garlic. Cook gently, stirring, for 2 mins, then push to one side of the pan.
• Season the cod with ground black pepper. Fry in the pan for 2 mins, then turn over. Add the peas and stock, and bring to a simmer. Cook over a medium heat for a further 2 mins, then add the lettuce and crème fraîche. Cook for a couple mins more, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until the fish is just cooked and the lettuce has wilted. Serve with bread to mop up the broth.

CREAMY POTATO AND LEEK GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Generously butter a 3-qt shallow baking dish. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit just inside a 12-inch heavy skillet, then set parchment aside.
• Halve leeks lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces (you should have about 8 cups). Wash leeks.
• Cook leeks in butter with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, covered with parchment round, in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel potatoes and slice crosswise 1/16 inch thick with slicer. Transfer to a large heavy pot with cream, milk, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally (liquid will thicken). Stir in leeks, then transfer to baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
• Do Ahead
• Gratin can be baked 2 days ahead and chilled. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, then reheat, covered, in a 350°F oven until hot, about 30 minutes.

CREAM OF LEEK AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy saucepan, bring the leeks, potatoes, water, and salt to the boil over high heat. Cover partially, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Correct the seasoning, to taste, and puree with a handheld immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor.
• Whisk in the cream and reheat before serving. Top each serving with a dollop of creme fraiche and sprinkling of fresh chives.

CREAMY SALMON, LEEK & POTATO TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bring a medium pan of water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 8 mins. Drain and leave to steam-dry in a colander for a few minutes. Toss the potatoes with ½ of the oil and plenty of seasoning in a baking tray. Put in the oven for 20 mins, tossing halfway through the cooking time.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and fry for 5 mins, or until beginning to soften. Stir through the garlic for 1 min, then add the cream, capers and 75ml hot water, then bring to the boil. Stir through the chives.
• Heat the grill to high. Pour the creamy leek mixture over the potatoes, then sit the salmon fillets on top. Grill for 7-8 mins, or until just cooked through. Serve topped with extra chives and capers and a salad on the side, if you like.

LEEK, POTATO & BACON BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the stock in a large pan, bring to the boil, then add the potatoes and the leeks. Bring back to the boil for 5 mins, then drain well, reserving the stock in a jug.
• Meanwhile, butter a large baking dish. Layer up the potatoes and leeks higgledypiggledy, seasoning as you go, then scatter the bacon over the top. Season well, pour over 200ml of the reserved stock, then spoon over the cream (if using) and cover with foil. Can be made up to 1 day ahead and chilled. Bake for 40 mins, uncovering halfway through so that the bacon crisps.

PORTERHOUSE STEAK WITH CREAMY LEEK SAUCE

Steps:

• Generously sprinkle the steaks with salt and fresh ground black pepper 1 hour before cooking and hold in the refrigerator.
• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Reduce the heat, add the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the leeks are tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat 2 heavy-bottomed or cast-iron skillets over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the canola oil to each skillet. Place a steak in each pan and sear 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the skillets to the oven and cook until an internal thermometer inserted into the steaks reads 130 degrees F, 6 to 8 minutes. Rest the meat for 10 minutes. Slice the steaks and serve with the leek sauce.

COD STEAKS ON A BED OF CREAMY LEEKS, POTATO AND BACON

Steps:

• Fry the bacon over a medium heat with no extra fat until it's starting to go crispy and lots of fat has run off into the pan.
• Add the leeks and onion, stir them around and cook for about 10 minutes.
• Throw in the potatoes, stock and wine, season lightly with salt and black pepper, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, wash and dry the cod steaks, and dredge them in flour with salt and pepper.
• When the leeks have had their 20 minutes, melt some butter in a non-stick frying pan with a little bit of oil. When it's hot, put in the cod steaks and cook them over a medium-high heat for five minutes on each side. Keep cooking the leeks in the meantime.
• Just before serving, stir a few tablespoons of cream into the leeks and check the seasoning.
• Pile the creamy leeks onto the plates, and pop the cod steaks on top with a wedge of lemon.

BAKED COD WITH CREAMY MUSHROOM & LEEK ORZO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tip the flour into a bowl and season. Dip each cod fillet into the flour until evenly coated. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the cod on each side for 2 mins, or until golden brown. Transfer to a roasting tin with the lemon slices on top and nestled in half the thyme. Bake for 10 mins.
• Heat the remaining oil in a pan and fry the leeks and mushrooms for 5 mins over a medium-high heat. Add the orzo and stock, and cook for 10 mins over a high heat, stirring continuously until tender. Stir through the crème fraîche and lemon zest. Season. Serve the orzo with the cod on top, along with the roasted lemon slices.

CREAMED LEEKS WITH BACON & THYME

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the bacon for 5 mins, then turn down the heat, add the white wine and simmer to a glaze. Add the double cream and reduce by half. Add the leeks and simmer for 10 mins, then stir in the thyme leaves, cheddar and season.

COD, LEEK & POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°.
• Butter a 13-inch oval gratin pan or 4 deep, individual-sized baking dishes.
• Cut the potatoes crosswise into thin, uniform slices.
• Cut the leeks crosswise into slices about twice as thick as the potatoes.
• Season the fish lightly with salt and pepper.
• Arrange half of the potato slices in the prepared dish, overlapping them to cover the bottom.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Scatter half of the leeks over the potatoes, then arrange the fish slices over the leeks in a single layer, overlapping the slices as necessary.
• Top with the remaining leeks, then with the remaining potatoes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the cream evenly over the layers; bake for 40 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and spoon some of the cooking liquid over the top of the gratin to moisten the potatoes and help them brown.
• Continue to bake until the top layer of potatoes is tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 20 minutes.
• Let stand for 10-15 minutes and serve.

COD WITH LEEKS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss together leeks, lemon juice, oil, lemon zest, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with foil, and bake until leeks just begin to soften, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove baking dish from oven. Add tomatoes, and toss to combine. Season both sides of cod fillets with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; place on top of vegetables.
• Cover dish and bake until fish is opaque throughout, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.