What to Cook Tonight #102

The humble leek, transformed into a delicious Potato, Leek & Ricotta Galette.

Leeks are such a versatile vegetable, with the magical ability to transform into melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness with a little heat, time, and patience.

Leeks are an allium (in the same family as onions, garlic, spring onions, etc.) which means they are full of immune-boosting goodness. You can think of them as a softer, sweeter onion. Leeks are excellent roasted, cooked over the fire, sautéed, and coaxed into jammy goodness, as we’ve done this week.

When you cook leeks right down, you unlock the most wonderful sweetness and tender texture. For this week’s recipe, we combine these heavenly leeks with creamy ricotta, aromatic lemon, thyme, and toasted pine nuts to build a deeply flavourful base for a yummy Potato, Leek & Ricotta Galette.

Potato, Leek & Ricotta Galette

The great thing about galettes is that they are supposed to be rustic — so if it looks a little rough or messy, perfect — you are doing it right. We love carbs-on-carbs, and here, some thinly sliced potatoes are the perfect finish to this fab tart. Make sure your potatoes are very thinly sliced (¼ cm) so they have the right texture. We also like to lightly blanch the potatoes first, to ensure they are cooked through.

Typically a galette calls for a rich, buttery pastry (which we adore) but wanted to make this one a little lighter. Our tender Olive Oil Pastry delivers a satisfying and slightly crispy result (rather than a rich and crumbly short pastry). This pastry is our go-to for making tarts, pies, and empanadas. It’s so easy to make (all you need is a measuring cup and a bowl) and thanks to being butter-free, feels slightly more virtuous.