Griddled Baby Leeks with Gruyere Cheese Sauce, Toasted Hazelnuts and Sourdough Croutons
By OcadoLife
Published on 02 December 2021
A touch of crunch livens up tender leeks and a luscious sauce. Time and servings
40 minsTotal time
4Servings
10 minsPrep time
30 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 12 baby leeks
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g of butter
- 40 g of plain flour
- 500 ml of milk
- 4 sprigs of lemon thyme, leaves finely chopped
- 80 g of gruyere, grated
- 40 g of hazelnuts, chopped
- 80 g of sourdough bread, torn into small chunks
Method
Step 1
Heat a griddle pan on a high heat, add the leeks and drizzle over ½tbsp of the olive oil. Season and griddle for 4 mins, turning once so you get nice marks on both sides of the leeks. Remove from the pan, place into an ovenproof dish and set aside.Step 2
Make the sauce by melting the butter in a large heavy pan and adding the flour, stirring all the time, until it starts to turn golden. Now add the milk a little at a time, whisking continuously. Once all the milk has been added, keep whisking until you have a thick sauce. Add the thyme and 60g of the cheese, then mix wellStep 3
Pour the sauce over the leeks in the ovenproof dish. Set aside.Step 4
Put the remaining 1½tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan, then add the sourdough chunks, hazelnuts and some seasoning. Fry until the bread starts to turn golden and crisp.Step 5
Scatter the nuts, bread and leftover cheese over the leeks, then pop under the grill for 3-5 mins until golden and bubbling. Remove and serve.