Braised Leek with Blue Cheese Crumb

Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 4-6

Ingredients

3 leeks, about 750g in total

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup white wine

½ cup currants

10 thyme sprigs

100g butter

2 tbsp snipped chives

Blue Cheese Crumb

100g of your favourite blue cheese, crumbled

¾ cup panko breadcrumbs

½ cup finely chopped parsley

½ tsp garlic powder (optional, but excellent)

2 tbsp olive oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Meanwhile, remove the green tops from the leeks and cut the pale parts into 1.5 cm chubby discs. Soak the leeks in a salad spinner or bowl filled with cold water to get rid of any grit, then drain and spin, or wash them really well under the tap.

Snuggle the leek, cut side up, in a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch) baking dish.

Add the stock, wine, currants and thyme. Dab the butter over the top, cover with foil and bake for 2 hours.

Combine the crumb ingredients in a bowl by stirring vigorously together with a spatula or wooden spoon. You want to end up with a nice chunky crumb.

At the 2-hour mark, remove the dish from the oven. Flick off the foil, fish out the thyme stalks and submerge the currants into the braising juices.

Sprinkle with the crumb and bake, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the juices have reduced to a syrupy consistency.

Serve in the baking dish or a serving bowl, drizzled with the juices and sprinkled with snipped chives, salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.