| |
| SERVINGS |
Four main meals, 6
vegetable portions |
| PREPARATION TIME |
15 minutes |
| COOKING TIME |
1 hour 10 minutes |
| FREEZES? |
No |
INGREDIENTS
|
Ingredient |
Metric |
Imperial |
American |
|
Two medium
leeks trimmed |
250 grams |
9oz |
|
Three medium
potatoes |
800 grams |
1lb 12oz |
|
Chopped ham |
180g / 6oz |
|
Cheddar cheese |
85g / 3oz |
|
Vegetable stock |
125ml / 4fl oz |
|
Double cream |
Small pot / 150ml |
|
Milk |
150ml / 5fl oz |
|
Garlic clove |
1 |
|
Butter |
1 teaspoon (to grease cooking dish) |
|
Bay leaf |
1 |
|
Salt and pepper |
To taste |
* Use one stock cube and dissolve it in
boiling water. Make sure the stock is hot when you add it to the
casserole dish.
HINTS AND TIPS
Leek and potato gratin is a very forgiving dish as far as the
amounts of ingredients are concerned. A little more of this and that
or a little less will still result in a very tasty meal.
You do, however, need to stick to few rules to
ensure it cooks correctly. Firstly, the stock must be hot when you
add it. The oven must also be fully pre-heated (see below).
For the potatoes to cook correctly they should
be sliced to about ¼cm thick. It's not absolutely crucial if you are
out a bit, but if the slices are ¾cm thick for example, then the
potatoes will take much longer to cook through.
This recipe needs and oven proof dish which
has about a 2 litre capacity. A shallow casserole dish is ideal.
PREPARATION
| Cut the green end and the roots
from the leeks, remove the harder outer skin and wash well.
Slice the leeks finely and then wash again in a colander to
remove any earth. Peel and
slice (about ¼cm) the potatoes.
Chop the ham roughly.
Peel, top and tail then finely chop
the garlic.
Grate the cheddar cheese.
Smear the butter over the inside of
the oven proof dish.
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C / 350°F
/ Gas Mark 4 (170°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3 for a fan oven).
|
COOKING LEEK AND POTATO GRATIN
|
1. |
Put the cream, milk, garlic and bay
leaf in a pan on a medium heat and the second it begins to
bubble remove from the heat and put to one side. |
|
|
|
2. |
Mix up the leeks, potatoes and ham in
a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper, turning the
mixture to ensure it is evenly seasoned. Place it all in
your casserole dish (see hints and tips above). |
|
3. |
Stir the the previously heated stock,
cream and milk to ensure the chopped garlic is well spread
throughout the mixture. Evenly pour the liquid over the
contents of the casserole dish and then sprinkle the cheddar
cheese over the top. |
|
4. |
Cover with silver foil and then place
in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the silver
foil and cook uncovered for an additional 40 minutes until
the top is golden brown |
SERVE WITH?
If you have included all the ingredients then
this is a meal all by itself! |