L is for...Leek Confit

What's Cooking?

This post was originally to be for a Leek Gratin recipe I've been meaning to make, but I made it the other day, and it wasn't quite what I was looking for.  That is not to say that it was bad necessarily, just that it didn't live up to the last time I had leeks.  That must have spoiled me, that was the first time I made leeks, and they were excellent. That time, I had prepared a lunch for about 180-200 people that included making a savoy cabbage salad. As I wasn't sure how much to make, I had over purchased savoy cabbage and needed to use the rest of it up.  I found a recipe for Savoy Cabbage and Celery Root Soup and made up a batch for my Thursday night friends (in case your wondering - they are always my friends, it is just we have regularly eaten supper together on Thursdays for over a decade).  One of the ingredients for the soup was Leek Confit, and though I read the line that said, "Leeks cooked slowly in oil make for an amazing flavor booster,"  I didn't realize how true that was until I made leeks a second time, with a different recipe, that just asked you to parboil them for 3 minutes.  It left me slightly disappointed in the flavor, so while I write this post I have a pot of leek confit simmering on the stovetop.  Maybe sometime I will have to try the confit with some mustard, but for tonight I just substituted chicken broth in, we will save the mustard till a different time.

Leeks!

The Leek Gratin waiting to be cooked.

A nice midweek supper.

Thinly sliced and ready to simmer into Leek Confit.