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RECIPE: Braised Leeks With Cheese Sauce
- Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish or starter 1x
Description
My mother left behind a trove of her favorite recipes when she died. Most were typed on 4โx 6โ index cards, stained with oil and drips and annotated in handwriting (โBottoms blacken; try 325ยฐโ, โUse Cuisinart!โ), but somehow, the recipe for the braised leeks in cheese sauce of my early adolescence was missing. This is my attempt to recreate it, and I think it turned out well. Note that instead of drizzling cheese sauce over the braised leeks, you could sprinkle them with some grated parmesan or cheddar while theyโre still in the pan, then pop the pan under the broiler until the cheese melts.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 6 medium leeks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Vegetable stock
For the cheese sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup milk (I use 2%, but oat milk and other alternatives will also work)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup grated strong cheddar cheese (or jarlsberg, manchego, or other flavorful variety)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim off the bottoms of the leeks and cut off the dark green leaves. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, and place them in a bowl of cold water to soak for 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse off any remaining dirt, checking between the layers at the top ends.
- Heat the olive oil on medium in a heavy-bottomed skillet large enough to fit all the leeks in a single layer. Put the leeks in the pan cut side down and cook for a few minutes until the bottoms are slightly browned. Flip them over and cook for another 3 minutes, browning the other sides. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top and turn them over again. If the outer layers have become papery, remove them.
- Add the wine to the pan and cook for a minute. Then add enough vegetable broth to just cover the leeks, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes until most of the liquid has boiled off and the leeks are cooked through and easily pierced with a knife tip.
- While the leeks are braising, prepare the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Then slowly drizzle in the milk, whisking continuously. Add the grated nutmeg.
- Cook, stirring, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese until itโs melted and fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add additional milk if you want a thinner consistency.
- To serve, place the leeks on a platter and drizzle generously with the cheese sauce.
