Leeks and Blue Cheese Souffle
Posted on June 29, 2013 by nerinatimm in cheese, vegetarian
Leeks….. certainly a vegetable that spends its whole life in the shade of other more bold vegetables, like the beetroot, the tomato, the red-hot chili, even the spud gets preference in my household. Yet, every week when I shop, I end up with a bunch of leeks in my trolley. Why?
Leeks are like the color beige….. bland, un-interesting and sometimes even boring! If, however you walk into a vintage kitchen ( which happens to be my favorite ), beige is beautiful and warm and comfortingly familiar! Leeks are like that, they give a creamy, warm and comforting touch to a recipe. This Potato and leek soup would be completely different if the leeks had to be replaced with onions and this Guinness Beef and Leek Pie would not be half as good if the leeks weren’t there. In this Lip smakcing Roast Chicken Pasta Bake, the leeks give a lovely warm note to the whole dish.
So next time you shop, add a bunch of leeks to your trolley, you will be amazed!
– Leeks are quite sandy so you need to wash it properly.
– Remove the outer layer of white.
– Cut off the base to remove all the roots.
– Cut the leek in half from the white bottom towards the green tips.
– Place in a colander and wash under a running tap.
– If the recipe asks for chopped leeks, it is best to chop the leeks first and then rinse under cold water.
Here are a few delicious ideas with leeks
– Add some sauteed leeks to your next pot of mashed potato
– Add chopped leeks to grated potato to make the most delicious rosti
– Leeks and feta are perfect partners in a quiche
– baby leeks topped with goat’s and parmesan cheese, baked in the oven is one of my favorite starters.
Leeks and Blue Cheese Souffle
serves 4
Ingredients
30 ml butter (you will need more butter further down the recipe)
500 ml chopped leeks
125 ml grated parmesan
120 g butter
80 ml flour
350 ml milk
3 eggs – separated
250 ml mature cheddar cheese
100 g crumbed Fairview Blue Tower
10 ml chopped parsley
10 ml chopped chives
pepper to taste ( no need for salt, the cheese adds more than enough seasoning)
Method
Heat the butter in a pan and add the leeks. Cook and stir until the leeks are soft, but still green. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Puree the leeks in a food processor and allow to cool. Butter your 4 individual souffle dishes or one big dish. Cut rectangular strips of baking paper and butter the paper. Stick the buttered paper to the inside of the small dishes to form a collar that extends about 3-4 cm above the dish.
Heat the 120 g butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the flour and use your whisk to blend the butter and flour well. Gradually add the milk and keep whisking until the sauce thickens. Once the sauce has thickened, allow the sauce to cook for about 2-3 minutes on low heat.
Preheat your oven to 200 C. Place the white sauce in your mixing bowl and while mixing on medium speed, add the egg yolks one by one, mixing after each addition. Add the leek puree, the cheese, herbs and pepper and mix through.
Beat the egg whites until it forms stiff peaks and fold into the white sauce mixture. Spoon into the souffle dishes and bake until puffed up golden brown.
Nina, your recipes are brilliant!
Hierdie resep probeer ek verseker. Ek dink jou resepte is wonderlik!
I have leeks and roquefort so lunch is served!
Wow, that is wonderful!