Potato Leek Cakes With Blue Cheese Sauce Recipe 455

LEEK AND POTATO CAKES

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes.
• Meanwhile, slice the leeks thinly and make sure you wash off any dirt from in between the layers.
• Melt the butter in a shallow pan and cook the leeks over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft, about 20 minutes.
• Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan and then take off the heat.
• When the potatoes are tender, drain and mash, pouring in the warm milk as you go.
• Stop adding milk when the consistency is thick enough to make into patties. You don't want a sloppy mash.
• Stir in the leeks, season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
• Shape into rough patties.
• Warm oil in a shallow pan and slide in the patties.
• Let them take on a golden colour, about 3-4 minutes per side.
• Like out and drain on kitchen paper.

POTATO AND LEEK CAKES

Steps:

• Add the potatoes to a boiling pot of water and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and mash with the butter and milk. Set aside.
• In a medium skillet set over high heat add one teaspoon of the butter, the leeks and garlic. Cook for 5 - 8 minutes. The leeks should be soft and slightly golden in colour. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, parsley, salt and pepper. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a large bowl and stir in the mayonnaise mixture and the bread crumbs. Stir well.
• On a clean flat surface, start making your little potato cakes. I usually take a small handful and start forming a little patty by using two hands and going around the sides until I get the desired shape. Repeat for the following potato cakes. For this recipe you should get 6 - 8, depending on how big you make them. Once you have done this, gently roll them all in flour.
• Cover and refrdgerate for 30 minutes to allow them to set. This will make them easier to cook.
• In a large non stick skillet, heat enough vegetable just to cover the bottom. Once it is hot, add as many potato cakes to the pan as you can. Don't over crowd the pan or it will be difficult to flip them. I do mine 4 at a time. Cook each side for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels, Repeat for all potato cakes.
• These potato cakes are best served fresh. If you choose to make them in advance and serve them later they will not be crisp and may lose their shape.

CHEESY LEEK AND POTATO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220°C.
• Boil potatoes. Cut leeks into 1 cm slices. Melt 1/2 of the butter in a pan and cook leeks for about 10 minutes.
• Drain and mash potatoes with the other 1/2 of butter, the egg and 3/4 of the cheese.
• Season to taste, stir in the leeks and turn into a large ovenproof dish.
• Top with remaining cheese and bake for about 10 minutes, until golden. Will take longer if you have prepared the dish in advance.

LEEK AND POTATO CAKE

Steps:

• For the dough: Add the flour, butter and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Run the machine at its slowest setting for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the yolk, and as the butter starts breaking into the dough, you will notice that your mix will start looking like coarse crumbs. As time goes by, the crumbs will become smaller and smaller until the dough will start forming. This is the only tricky part: in case the dough is not forming right (it's usually because of a small egg yolk), slowly add the cold water, not all at once, just the right amount for the dough to come alive and start detaching from the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough from the mixer, form it into a disc and put it to rest, covered in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter an 11-inch tart pan.
• For the filling: In a pot of boiling water, cook the potatoes half way, for about 15 minutes, then remove from the hot water and set aside to cool off. Once cool, slice into thin slices.
• In a medium pan, saute the leeks and shallots over medium heat in the oil and butter until soft and just golden, about 7 minutes. (Or saute the leeks and shallots with the guanciale.) Let cool.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk, Parmesan and some salt and pepper. Add the leeks and shallots to the egg mixture and stir well with a fork until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
• Dust some flour on a flat surface. Lightly dust your wood rolling pin and start working the dough. Do not press too hard, give the dough some time to respond to the pin and start softening up. Flip it a couple of times, dust it with flour, and mostly importantly do not guess the size. Keep the buttered pan close and prop it on top of the dough from time to time. Keep in mind that you will have to roll the dough a bit wider, as the pan has edges that need to be completely covered. Place the dough into the tart pan and, using a fork, poke holes into it to prevent swelling during the cooking process.
• Pour the egg mixture slowly into the dough, using a spoon to make sure you create an even layer. Get creative and place the sliced potatoes very gently on top of the egg mixture, creating a pleasant concentric pattern. Sprinkle the top of the cake with freshly grated Parmesan, 3 or 4 small tabs of butter and some ground pepper. Place the pan on a sheet tray.
• Cook in the oven for about 45 minutes, but make sure you check the cake after the first half hour, turn it around once or twice, and keep an eye on its color, which is the best indicator. The cake will be ready when the crust looks golden and the butter and cheese on top have become crisp and irresistible! When ready, let your new creation rest and settle for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and serve warm. Buon Appetito!

SLOW COOKER POTATO, LEEK, AND KALE GRATIN WITH TOO MUCH CHEESE

Steps:

• Set the slow cooker to the sauté function. Add the oil and, once hot, add the leek and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the kale and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes, or until the leek is soft. Gently scoop into a bowl. Line the slow cooker with a sheet of baking paper, working carefully as it will be hot.
• Add the cream, stock and cheeses to a bowl and use a fork to combine.
• Arrange one-third of the potato slices over the bottom of the lined bowl, overlapping them slightly. Pour in one-third of the cream mixture and sprinkle with one-third of the leek mixture. Season and repeat the process until all the ingredients have been used.
• You should get three decent layers of cheesy potato goodness. Close the lid and cook on high for 4 hours.
• Check the liquid at the 3-hour mark. If there is a lot of liquid remaining, leave the lid off for the last hour of cooking. If, at 4 hours, there is still too much liquid, remove the lid and, if your cooker has it, hit the reduce function, or simply the sauté function, and cook for 2-5 minutes. This will quickly get rid of any excess moisture.
• Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes in the slow cooker before gently removing. If you try to cut it when still hot, it tends to go everywhere. Alternatively, scoop the gratin straight from the bowl onto the plate. It might not look amazing, but it's the kind of dish that is here for a good time, not a long time.
• Season generously with salt and pepper and serve. Eat wearing stretchy pants; you are going to need them.

POTATO & LEEK CAKES WITH BLUE CHEESE SAUCE RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• 1. To prepare sauce, combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Cover and chill. 2. To prepare cakes, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add leek to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Place leek in a large bowl. Wipe pan with paper towels. 3. Place potato in a sieve; gently squeeze potato to remove excess moisture. Add potato, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and eggs to leek in bowl; stir well. Return pan to medium-high heat. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Divide potato mixture into 16 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Add 8 patties to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Repeat procedure with remaining 8 patties. Serve with sauce.