Tom Kerridge's Cheesy Leeks

Ingredients

• 3 large leeks, cut into 2cm rounds (approx 550g)
• 1 tbsp thyme, leaves picked
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 50 g butter
• 50 g plain flour
• 450 ml whole milk
• 100 ml single cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp English mustard
• 100 g mild cheddar, grated
• 40 g parmesan, grated
• 1/4 of a nutmeg, finely grated
• 1 tsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 180C fan with the grill element turned on, if you have one. Heat a large sauté pan over a high heat and add the oil. When hot, add the leeks and a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and stir well, cook for another 15 minutes until the leeks are just tender then remove from the heat. To make the sauce, put a large saucepan onto a medium heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually pour in the milk, whisking at the same time to combine and remove any lumps. Continue to cook until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat and add the cream, both mustards, nutmeg and half of both the cheddar and parmesan cheese. Stir gently until all the cheese has completely melted. Then stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Add the leeks to the pan and stir to coat in the sauce. Transfer the mixture to a shallow oven proof baking dish and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Place the leeks onto a high shelf for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling. If you don't have a grill/fan element, remove the leeks from the oven and finish under the grill for 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes.