This rather cheesy, leek gratin makes a great side dish with a roast, but is also really lovely as a main.
The leeks are gently steamed and then covered in a rich cheese sauce, before being topped with a cheesy breadcrumb mix.
I don't think you can ever have too much cheese, but if you want to make it less cheesy, then you can (1) reduce the amount of cheddar in the sauce, (2) use a milder cheddar and/or (3) use plain breadcrumbs for the topping.
Be warned, you'll be fighting over the crispy cheesy topping!!
Serves 3-4 as a main
4 medium sized leeks
50g butter
5 tablespoons of plain flour
400ml milk
250g mature cheddar plus extra for topping
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
Black pepper
3-4 slices of stale white bread
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
Cook the leeks
- Trim the leeks.
- Slice into 3cm rounds.
- Steam the leek slices for 4-5 minutes, until just done.
- Set aside and leave to cool.
Make the cheese sauce
- Grate the cheese.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Now slowly add the milk, stirring all of the time.
- Once all of the milk has been added, use a whisk to ensure the sauce is lovely and smooth.
- Stir in the Dijon mustard and grate in a little nutmeg.
- Add the cheese and stir until it's melted into the sauce.
- Season with black pepper.
- Increase the heat slightly and stir for a few minutes until thickened. Set aside.
Prepare the breadcrumbs
- Remove the crusts from the bread.
- Tear or cut up into chunks.
- Use a food processor to make breadcrumbs.
- Pour into a bowl and then grate in some extra cheddar.
- Mix well.
Assemble and bake
- Place the leek slices (preferably upright) in the bottom of an ovenproof dish.
- Pour over the cheese sauce until the leeks are completely covered.
- Scatter the cheesy breadcrumbs over the top.
- Place in the hot oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until the leeks are hot and the gratin topping is nice and golden.
