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Fondue de poireaux
Slow-cooked leeks in butter
Fondue de poireaux: French leeks cooked slowly in butter and a little cream until they melt
Fondue de poireaux is a winter side from northern France and Belgium, cooked in home kitchens from Picardy to Lille whenever leeks are cheap and sweet. Thinly sliced leeks are sweated very gently in butter with a lid on until they collapse into a soft, pale-green tangle, then finished with a spoon of cream and nutmeg. Serve it with roast fish, eggs, potatoes, or spooned onto toast as a light supper. The usual mistake is cooking over too high a heat, which browns the leeks and makes them bitter; they should never colour. Chef's tip: wash the sliced leeks in a bowl of water and lift them out with your hands, so the grit stays at the bottom.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 leekswhite and pale green parts, thinly sliced and washed
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp white or black pepper
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Method
0/3 doneStep 2: Cover and cook very gently for 18–20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the leeks are completely soft and melting with no colour at all.
20 minStep 3: Uncover, stir in 4 tbsp double cream or crème fraîche, 1 pinch ground nutmeg and ¼ tsp white or black pepper and simmer for 2 minutes until it coats the leeks lightly. Serve warm.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fondue de poireaux take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of leeks?
- 1 onion per leek.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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