Saffron And Leek Mash Food

LEEK MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Put them into a large pot of cold water. Add a big pinch of salt and put the pot over high heat. When it comes to a boil, cook until the potatoes are just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• While the potatoes are cooking, slice the leeks into small pieces and thoroughly wash to remove any dirt. Put a medium skillet over medium-low heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter is melted, add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook the leeks until they are very soft, being careful not to let them color or burn, about 20 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes in a colander. Then put the potatoes back into the pot and let the potatoes dry out a bit while you finish the leeks.
• In a small pot over low heat, add the milk, the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, garlic and thyme and warm it up. Strain the garlic and thyme from the warm milk and stir the milk into the potatoes using a wooden spoon. Mash with a potato masher, breaking up the big lumps. Stir in the melted leeks, taste and season with salt and pepper. Reserve 2 cups for another use if desired, such as the Round 2 Recipe Thanksgiving Pie. Cover the rest and keep warm until ready to serve.

SAUSAGE & LEEK MASH PIE

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes for 12 mins or until tender. Drain and leave to steam-dry.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a shallow casserole or deep skillet (20-25cm). Pinch the sausages out of their skins into large pieces, directly into the pan, and fry over a medium heat for 7-8 mins or until golden brown. Add the flour and stir everything together, cooking for 1 min. Pour in the gravy and 100-200ml water (depending on how thick you like your gravy), bring to a simmer, then add the kale and cook for 5 mins. Remove from the heat.
• Meanwhile, in a separate pan, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, then the leeks and fry for 5-10 mins until tender, adding a small splash of water to help them cook. Heat your grill to its highest setting.
• Mash the potatoes until smooth. Stir though the leeks, mustard and milk, and season. Spoon and swirl the mash on top of the sausage mixture, then scatter over the grated cheese and grill for 3-5 mins or until golden and bubbling.

SAFFRON MASH POTATOES

Steps:

• Bring chicken stock, potatoes, garlic, and saffron to a boil in a large pot; cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to the pot; reserve cooking stock for another use, if desired. Add milk, olive oil, salt, and black pepper to potatoes. Mash potatoes with a potato masher until smooth.

FISH PIE WITH SAFFRON MASH

Steps:

• Tip the shallots and vinegar into a saucepan and place on the heat so the vinegar evaporates quickly. Splash in the white wine and reduce until practically dry. Add cream, bring to the boil, then simmer gently until reduced by two-thirds and very thick. Leave to cool. Cut the fish into bite-size chunks and set aside with the prawns.
• Tip spinach into a large colander and pour over boiling water from a kettle until all the spinach is wilted (you may need to do this more than once). Cool under the cold tap, then squeeze the spinach tightly to get rid of any excess liquid.
• To make the topping, mash the saffron, garlic and chilli together using a pestle and mortar. Tip into a saucepan with the milk, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat to infuse. Bring the potatoes to the boil and simmer for 15 mins until soft. Drain, then mash well with the infused milk, olive oil, lemon juice and zest.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. To assemble the pie, mix the fish and prawns into the cold cream until completely coated. Tip the fish into the bottom of a large gratin dish and scatter over clumps of crabmeat. Unravel the spinach and lay it over the fish, then top with the mash. Cook the pie for about 30 mins until golden and starting to brown and bubble around the edges. Serve with green veg if you like.

MUSSELS WITH LEEKS & SAFFRON

Steps:

• Wash the mussels in a sink of cold water, removing any little beards and scrubbing any barnacles. Tap each one on the side of the sink - if the mussel doesn't close tightly, discard it (also discard any with broken shells). Put the mussels in a colander (in batches) and rinse really well under cold running water.
• Heat the oil in a large pan (or two pans if you don't have one big enough to fit all the mussels). Sauté the leeks for 8-10 mins until softening, then add the garlic and cook for another few mins. Add the bouquet garni, pour over the sherry and wine, sprinkle over the saffron and bring to just under the boil. Stir to help the saffron flavour the wine.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low, then add the mussels and stir. Cover the pan and allow the mussels to cook until they open (this will take about 4 mins), shaking the pan a few times. Remove the bouquet garni. Add the cream, stir and heat through. Taste for seasoning (mussels are always pretty salty, so you shouldn't need to add anything). Scatter over the parsley, then transfer the mussels to a large, warm serving dish or serve them straight from the pan.

SMOKED HADDOCK, LEEK, AND SAFFRON BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.
• Heat the cream and milk with the thyme, garlic, bay, saffron and some seasoning. Bring it up to steaming, then turn the heat down so that it is just infusing as you build the rest of the dish.
• Choose an ovenproof dish that will hold the fish snugly and has sides about 6cm high. Grease it well with butter.
• Layer the bottom of the dish with half of the sliced potato, overlapping a little and seasoning as you go.
• Add a layer of half the leek rings, followed by the rest of the spuds, again overlapping slightly. Season, then place the haddock pieces on top.
• Turn the heat off the infused dairy mixture, stir the chopped parsley into it and pour half the mixture over the fish.
• Add the rest of the leeks and top with the sliced tomatoes.
• Pour the rest of the dairy over the top. The top layer of leeks should be just about covered, but the tomatoes don't need to be.
• Cover the dish in foil and bake for 30-40 minutes. Stick a knife down into the spuds and - as long as they're nearly done - whip the foil off, dot the top with knobs of butter and pop it back into the oven for a final 15 minutes.

FISH PIE WITH SAFFRON MASH

Steps:

• Pre heat the oven to 180 Celsius.
• For the Saffron Mash, peel and chop the potatoes; cover with water, add the garlic cloves and saffron strands. Bring to the boil and cover until cooked.
• Drain the potatoes retaining the saffron and garlic. Add 75g of the butter and mash smoothly. Add the cream and 150 ml of the milk and beat until light and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, lay the cod in an ovenproof dish; cover with the remaining milk. Add the onion and bay leaf. Cover and bake for 20 minutes until the fish is firm. Strain off the milk and reserve.
• In the meantime, plunge the tomatoes into a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds; refresh in cold water. Peel, quarter, remove the seeds, and roughly chop the flesh.
• Turn up the oven to approximately 230 Celsius. Flake the cod into a buttered ovenproof dish. Add the prawns, mussels and tomatoes; sprinkle over the dill.
• Melt 25g butter in a pan and add the flour. Cook for 30 seconds; stir in the reserved milk and cook, stirring, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the fish.
• Spoon the saffron mash over top of the fish mixture covering it completely. Dot with remaining butter.
• Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until nicely browned on top.
• Serve with crusty white bread and steamed asparagus tips.

LEEK, SAFFRON AND CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the leeks, and saffron and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the leeks are tender and translucent.
• Add the strips of lemon zest, the stock/water and the chickpeas, bring to a simmer, then cook gently for about 10 minutes. Add the parsley and cook 5 minutes more. Season well with sea salt and black pepper.

SAFFRON AND LEEK MASH

Steps:

• Cut the potatoes into chunks and boil in salted water until very soft.
• Meanwhile, heat half the butter in a small frying pan and add the leek, saffron and a little of the stock.
• Stir the leeks, adding more stock as it is absorbed until leeks are soft. A little stock should remain in the pan.
• Drain potatoes and roughly mash with the remaining butter. Add leek mixture and mix well.
• Warm the milk into the saucepan used for the leeks, blending with any sauce left around the edges of the pan.
• Mix milk with potatoes, mashing further until the leeks, saffron colouring and milk are evenly distributed.