By Nat Levin
If you’re looking for a reason to stand over the stove, stewing leeks is a pretty good one. You’ll be rewarded with a heavenly smell as they cook down in a bath of butter, cream, and wine, seasoned with thyme and mustard. Lest that sound overly rich, each of those ingredients is used with restraint, so the sweet freshness of the leeks doesn’t get lost. It’ll be hard to believe while cooking, but they taste even better than they smell.
A vegetable galette is my go-to for most special occasion dinners, since they look impressive, can serve a crowd, and are adaptable to the season. Don’t let the pastry intimidate you; a food processor makes the dough very forgiving. Just make sure to chill it properly before you roll it out.
For the crust (adapted from Smitten Kitchen and the Zuni Cafe):
1 cup / 120 grams all-purpose flour
¼ cup / 27 grams rye flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup / 60 grams yogurt
4 tablespoons / 60 ml cold water
8 tablespoons / 113 grams cold unsalted butter, sliced into tablespoons and chilled in the freezer for at least an hour if you remember!
For the filling:
4 leeks, thinly sliced into rounds
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup white wine
⅓ cup half and half or heavy cream
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (sub 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup – 1 cup / 3-4 oz ounces sharp cheddar, grated on the large holes of a box grater
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flours and salt and pulse five times to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the butter breaks down to nickel-sized pieces. Add the yogurt and 3 tablespoons of the cold water. Pulse until the dough begins to hold together and the butter is the size of small peas. All the flour should be incorporated. If it looks too dry, sprinkle in water by the tablespoon until the dough holds together.
Scrape the dough into a ball, gathering any stray bits. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, or 30 minutes in the freezer. The dough can be made up to two days in advance.
Before starting on the filling, preheat the oven to 400. Clean the leeks carefully – they are often sandy. Trim the root and peel off the thicker outer layers of skin. Rinse directly under the faucet, then slice the white and light green part into rounds, reserving the tough green upper part for stock. If there is still visible grit or sand, agitate in a bowl of cold water, changing water as needed, until the leeks look clean.
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the mustard, thyme, and salt and whisk until the mustard has dissolved.
Add the leeks, wine, and cream. Stir a few times to distribute the leeks around the pan, then cover and cook over low-medium heat for 15 – 20 minutes, until the leeks are very soft. Remove the lid, turn the heat up to medium, and cook until the liquid has evaporated from the pan and the leeks are beginning to brown in spots. They will continue to color in the oven.
While the leeks are cooking, remove the dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured counter, roll the dough into a roughly 8” by 12” rectangle. Fold each short end toward the center, then roll out again into another rectangle. Repeat the folds two times. After the last fold, roll out into a rectangle approximately 10” x 15”. Rough, uneven edges are fine. Make sure the counter is floured enough so that the dough doesn’t stick.
Carefully transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate while the leeks finish cooking. When you’re ready to assemble, scatter most of the grated cheddar over the dough, reserving a small handful of cheese to scatter on top. Spread the cheese all the way to the edges, then spoon out the leek filling, leaving a 2” gap between the edge and the filling. Fold the edges of the dough towards the center, so they cradle the filling, pinching the corners to keep them in place.
Bake at 400 for 30 – 40 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown and the top has begun begun to color. Check after 30 minutes if your oven tends to run hot. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 4 as a main course or 8 as an hors d’oeuvre.
