Leek Potato Gratin Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do I get the most out of my leeks? ›

I recommend trimming off at least half of the uppermost dark green leek pieces: At the very top, they're pretty leathery and just not that tasty. But the lowest inch or two of dark green pieces - right where the dark green meets the white portion of the vegetable - are much more tender and easier to cook with!

The reasons are usually two: you didn't season your soup at all, worrying it might be too salty because of the leeks; or you added to much water for the stock.

Derived from the French verb gratiner — to broil — gratin is a process that involves topping a dish with either cheese or buttery breadcrumbs and baking or broiling until crispy. While potatoes au gratin is most traditional, the contents beneath the golden crust can vary widely.

If you stored the sliced potatoes in water to prevent discoloring, but didn't drain them well and pat them dry before adding them to the baking dish, you may have added extra water to the dish. You could have also used the wrong kind of potato, as some waxy potatoes can release more water than starchier potatoes.

To cook: Leeks can be boiled, braised or steamed. Sliced leeks should be cooked for 5-7 minutes until tender but still firm. Whole small leeks should be cooked for 10-15 minutes until tender but still firm, top with a cheese sauce and then brown under a preheated grill for 5 minutes or until golden.

However, washing leeks is particularly essential because they get LOTS of dirt and grit stuck in them during the growing process. Fortunately, a quick slice and swish in a bowl of water easily helps all that dirt fall out of your leeks and into the bottom of the bowl.

Butter a gratin dish (which should be long and large and about 5 cm (2 in) deep) and sprinkle 2 chopped garlic slices on the bottom, a pinch of salt and pepper and more nutmeg.

A “gratin” is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated in the oven or under the broiler until brown and crispy, according to The Food Lover's Companion. The term “au gratin” or “gratinée” just refers to anything prepared in that manner.

The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven.

Once they have been peeled and cut, raw potatoes will turn brown quickly. This process, which is called oxidation, happens because potatoes are a naturally starchy vegetable. And when exposed to oxygen, starches turn gray, brown, or even black. An oxidized potato is completely safe to eat.

How to thicken au gratin potatoes? ›

To thicken scalloped potatoes, keep cooking the sauce a minute or so longer than directed before adding the cheese. This will create a rich, extra-thick sauce.

Surprisingly, aluminum foil is his secret weapon. After beautifully shingling the potatoes (he's got a genius trick for doing this quickly, too) he covers the dish in foil before hitting the oven.

Leaves which grow too long can be trimmed back slightly so that they do not rest on the ground. Cut the long dark leaves back by about 5 cm (2 in) in early summer and again in mid summer, and a third time if it is necessary, in early autumn.

Leeks need a sunny, sheltered site with well-drained, well prepared soil with plenty of added manure or fertiliser. To plant the traditional way, make a hole with a dibber, 20cm deep, drop a seedling in and water in. This method, called 'puddling in' will produce large single leeks with well-blanched stems.

To freeze: Leeks can be frozen! Simply slice and freeze them on a tray, before popping into a sealed container. To defrost: When you take food or drink out of the freezer, it's important to defrost it safely. Don't defrost at room temperature.