Braised leeks, potatoes and pangrattato

The perfect side for your weeknight dinner

By Julia Ostro | Oct 21, 2024

Here is a beautifully simple dish, with sweet braised leeks, soft potatoes and a crunchy thyme and lemon pangrattato. If you can find pencil leeks, they are wonderful; simply use eight rather than the six regular leeks suggested. I like to serve the pangrattato separately and allow everyone at the table to sprinkle it on for themselves, to ensure it stays nice and crunchy.

Yields: 4

Ingredients

6 leeks
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
300 g potatoes (such as Dutch cream or nicola), peeled and cut into 2.5 cm pieces
2 garlic cloves, crushed
100 ml dry white wine
300 ml chicken stock
2 thyme sprigs
sea salt and black pepper

Pangrattato

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
50 g fresh breadcrumbs
2 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
sea salt

Directions

Step 1

Trim the leeks so you are left with the white part and very pale green part only. Halve them lengthways and sit them in cold water for 10 minutes to dislodge any sand or dirt. Pat dry.

Step 2

Warm the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and potato and cook for 3–4 minutes or until just becoming a little golden. Add the garlic and stir so that it is well distributed in the pan. Deglaze with the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift any brown bits. Allow to simmer for a minute, then add the stock and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Wet a piece of baking paper and scrunch it to soften. Unfurl the paper and place it directly on the vegetables. Reduce the heat to low and braise for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Step 4

Meanwhile, for the pangrattato, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium–high heat and add the breadcrumbs. Stir to coat them in the oil and cook for 2–3 minutes or until they are golden and crunchy. Add the thyme and cook for 30 seconds, then transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Tip the breadcrumbs into a bowl, add the lemon zest and season to taste with salt. Serve the braised vegetables topped with the pangrattato

Julia Busuttil Nishimura is one of Australia’s best-loved food personalities, renowned for her generous, uncomplicated, seasonal cooking.

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