Leek and Broccoli Gratin

So, if any of you readers saw the news a few weeks ago, you may have heard that we got just a leeetle bit of snow over here in my neck of the woods.

When Miss D. woke to the news that all county schools were closed, she pumped her fist in the air and hooted, “This is the best week ever!” Ah, the intoxication of a snow day.

We who had to shovel the buckets of white stuff were not quite so intoxicated. Actually, I cannot really complain because hubs and Awesome Stepkid R. did most of the heavy lifting, and also because my neighborhood only got a wee 13 inches of snow, as opposed to Boulder, just minutes away, which got 22.5 inches.

I guess this is why smart people own snow blowers. We ain’t smart.

We’re close to setting a record for February snowfall, and I can’t help but wonder if Mother Nature has more mischief in store for us. She’s a trickster, that one.

All of this wintry weather calls for hearty fare, so I thought that a snow day was a perfect excuse to break out one of those vegetable gratins I’ve been meaning to try. After all, shoveling is good exercise, no? Butter and cream sauce and cheese are just rewards for such labor, don’t you agree?

I couldn’t find quite the perfect recipe in any of my cookbooks, though–even in my new bible, Essential Pepin. Some seemed too heavy, and some didn’t have enough cheese, and some called for herbs that weren’t in my pantry, and no way was I braving the grocery store on a day like that.

So I tinkered. I took some of the best parts of several recipes and cobbled together this gratin. It made a warming and delightful lunch, served with a bit of baguette and a well-earned glass of Chardonnay. I sauteed some sausages for the men in the family, but I was content just to focus on the rich, cheesy gratin. Those French are onto something, let me tell you.*

Leek and Broccoli Gratin

serves 6 as a side dish, 3-4 as a main course

3 large leeks, trimmed, leaving a bit of the green part on

1-2 heads broccoli, cut into flowerets (you should have about 6 cups)

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 cup water or chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (if you use table salt, reduce to 1/4 teaspoon)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 small shallot, chopped

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 tablespoons flour

2 cups whole milk

2 cups grated Gruyere cheese, divided (about 8 ounces)

3 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs

Prepare the leeks and broccoli: Cut off the stringy tips and most of the green ends, leaving about an inch of the green on. Quarter the leeks lengthwise; cut into one-inch pieces. Fill a sink with cold water and swish the leeks around vigorously, being careful to remove all dirt and sand between the leaves. Drain the sink and rinse the leeks again with cold water. Remove the leeks and pat dry.

Place the leeks, water/broth, and garlic clove in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until water is almost completely evaporated. Add broccoli flowerets to the saucepan, re-cover and steam for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and discard garlic clove.

Prepare the sauce: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, salt, pepper and thyme and stir vigorously with a whisk, cooking for about 2 minutes. Stir in the shallot. Add about 1/2 cup of the milk, whisking to remove any lumps of flour. Add remaining milk and simmer (do not boil), whisking, until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the grated Gruyere.

Assemble the gratin: Preheat oven to 375. Butter a large gratin or shallow baking dish (it should hold 8 cups). Place vegetables in the gratin dish and pour the sauce over, pressing down to make sure all vegetables get some sauce. Sprinkle remaining Gruyere and breadcrumbs over the top.

Place gratin on a baking sheet and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown. Let the gratin sit for 10 minutes before serving.

*And no, to answer your question, my children would not touch this.

Tagged as: vegetable gratin, warming veggie dishes, winter sucks arse