Smooth leek & butter tray-bake
With browned butter potato mash & sourdough breadcrumbs
“I’m a hedonist, I love the good food I’m in a good mood”
Comfort food at its best. This smooth leek & butter tray-bake is a must try. Easy to make and really tasty. The combination of mousseline and leeks go hand in hand. Use any leftover wine you got from the night before and this meal sets the tone for a typical ‘lay back Sunday evening’. No leeks around in the house? Try out beets, asparagus, Brussel sprouts or chicory!
Ingredients
1 kg of potatoes
250 gr good quality (organic) butter
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 or 5 small leeks
3 shallots
3 cloves garlic
A bunch of fresh thyme
250 ml white wine
150 gr leftover (sourdough) bread of choice, preferably white
salt, pepper & oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 190 ‘C and a large pot of heavily salted water. Once you peeled the potatoes, add them to the water. Break up the bread into chunks and place in the oven. Let it toast for about 10-15 minutes until it becomes super crisp.
While chopping the shallots and garlic place a grill pan on high heat. We are going to grill the leeks for a few minutes. Don’t be afraid to slightly burn them, this will only intensify the flavor. Once you’re done with the grilling part transfer the leeks together with the shallots and garlic into a pan with a touch of olive oil. Once the shallots and garlic have slightly colored it is time to deglaze the pan by adding the white wine. Season the leeks with pepper, salt, and a bunch of thyme sprigs. Now cover with a lid and let that simmer away for a good 10 minutes. Remove the lid for the last 2 minutes and let most of the wine evaporate.
Now it is time to create Lucas’ signature part, the mousseline. After the potatoes have cooked for probably 15 to 20 minutes (until nice and soft) they can be drained. Always make sure to check in advance by simply pricking with a fork. After draining, place them back in the pan on low heat to let them steam dry for two more minutes. Place the butter in a small pan on low heat and wait until it starts to brown and caramelize. You can smell the nuttiness and see the golden colour. Now it’s time for a little workout. Add the browned butter and nutmeg to the potatoes and start mixing. This can easily take up to 5 min before all ingredients have merged into a very soft and smooth creamy texture. For seasoning add extra pepper and salt and keep tasting until you are content with the taste.
Place the toasted bread into a food processor. Chopping could also work but takes more time and effort. Blend until the bread has transformed into fine crumbs, then mix in a decent amount of oil and salt. To finish off, add the mousseline to a large oven tray. Thereafter it’s time for the leek & shallot mixture. To garnish sprinkle the oven tray with breadcrumbs and place the dish in the oven for 15-20 min.
Enjoy tasting!