Potato Leek Ham And Cheese Gratin Food

CHEESY LEEKS & HAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan180C/gas 6. Cook the leeks in a pan of boiling salted water for 4-5 mins or until just tender. Drain and cool under a cold tap to stop them from cooking any further, then drain again well and pat dry on kitchen paper.
• Wrap each leek in a slice of ham, then arrange, side-by-side, in a large baking dish. Mix the cheddar in a bowl with the Dijon mustard and crème fraîche, until well combined. Season to taste. Spread over the leeks, then bake for 15-20 mins until bubbling and golden brown. Serve at once with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the juices.

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.

HAM, CHEDDAR, AND POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a shallow 3-quart (3-liter) baking dish.
• In a small saucepan, combine the broth, cream, garlic and sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim any fat from the ham steak, if using, and remove and discard the center bone. Cut the ham steak or baked ham into 1/2-inch (12-millimeter) dice. Arrange one-third of the potatoes in a layer on the bottom of the prepared dish. Top with half of the diced ham and one-third of the shredded cheese. Repeat the layers of potatoes, diced ham and shredded cheese. Top with the remaining potatoes and the remaining cheese.
• Remove the broth-cream mixture from the heat. Remove and discard the garlic cloves. Season the broth-cream mixture to taste with pepper and pour over the layered vegetables, distributing it as evenly as possible. Bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced and the top is brown, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

POTATO, LEEK, HAM, AND CHEESE GRATIN

Steps:

• place potatoes in water.
• boil and drain.
• set aside.
• cook leek in pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat, covered, for about 10 minute or until tender.
• remove leeks from pan and set aside.
• in same pan add broth, mustard, pepper and stir until blended.
• add flour and milk.
• stir to combine.
• bring to a boil, reduce heat and stir constantly until mixture thickens.
• remove from heat.
• spray 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.
• pour 1cup milk mixture into pan.
• arrange 2 1/3 Cup potatoes over mixture.
• then add 1 1/2 cups of diced ham, and then 1 Cup leek, then 1/2 cheese.
• repeat the layers once.
• top with remaining potatoes and the rest of the milk mixture.
• top with remaining cheese.
• bake at 375 for 45 minutes until browned and bubbly.

POTATO & LEEK GRATIN

Steps:

• Place the broth in a large saucepan along with the seasonings (1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, garlic chips, salt and pepper).
• Trim off the dark green part of the leek. (Use for another purpose.) Take the white-light green portion and split in half lengthwise. Place that in a water bath and rinse well, changing water as needed in order to remove all dirt and sand from the leek. Once clean, slice the leek into thin half discs. Place into the pot of seasoned broth.
• Peel potatoes and slice very thin by hand or by using a mandoline or food processor. Slices should be less than 1/4 inch thick. Place potatoes in the saucepan.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat contents of the saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce flame to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tooth tender - you can bite'em but they still have some resistance - about 5 minutes.
• Place the contents of the saucepan into 6 individual gratin dishes, ramekins or custard cups. Press down to level the tops. (should your mixture only partially fill the dishes, add a mixture of water and additional broth so that the tops of the contents is within a half inch of the lip of the dish.) Garnish with the remaining thyme.
• Set the dishes on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Check for potatoes for doneness. Apply a *very* quick application of cooking spray to the tops to aide crispness. Cook an additional 10 minutes or until the potatoes are done and the tops are a crispy golden brown.
• For Vegetarian do not use the Chicken Broth option.

POTATO & LEEK GRATIN

Steps:

• Pour the stock, cream and milk into a small saucepan, add the garlic and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let the flavours infuse while you get on with the rest of the dish.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Butter a 2 litre gratin dish well. Mix the potatoes, leeks and ham (if using) together in the dish, and spread out in an even layer. Pour over the stock mixture and tuck the bay leaf in the middle. Season and sprinkle with the cheese.
• Stand the dish on a baking tray to catch any spills. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Test the potatoes with a knife - they should be just beginning to soften. Remove the foil and bake for another 35-45 minutes, spooning some of the stock mixture over every now and again until the potatoes are tender. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.