Sweet Leek Gratin

Ingredients

Gratin

• 1 large leek
  
• a tin of cannellini beans, drained
  
• 1 large shallot, finely diced
  
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  
• ½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
  
• Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme
  
• Zest of 1 lemon
  
• 50ml good olive oil
  
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Roast the leek

Heat the oven to 200°C.

Cut the leek into chunky wedges.

Season with Liqueur de Peche, olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes

2. Build the gratin

Meanwhile, gently cook the shallot and thyme in olive oil for 5 minutes.

Add your garlic and crushed fennel seed and cook for another minute.

Remove the thyme.

Add the cannellini beans and about 50ml water (or 50ml of Lieu Dit).

Mash roughly 15-20% of the beans with a spoon. Leave the rest whole.

This gives a naturally creamy texture without cream.

Fold in some of the leek and half the lemon zest.

Transfer to a gratin dish (or do the whole process in a sensibly sized oven safe pot/pan to save on washing up).

3. Finishing up

Add the remaining leek to the top and grate Comté all over.

Over for 20-25 minutes.

Once it's cooked golden add some olive oil, lemon zest and parsley.