Up until about 2 years ago I thought I didn’t like leeks. I have trouble with onions, always have, but in past years have branched out to scallions etc. When leeks showed up in a farm share a few years back I decided to be a grown-up and give them a try again, I am so glad I did! Leeks have a sweetness with just a mild onion flavor, now I can’t get enough of them. I’m still working on plain ol’ onions though, still not a fan. I guess you could say that I’m easing my way into it.
Leeks appeared again in a recent share. Those are long gone, plus I have made a trip by the farm stand twice now for more! I never would have imagined it. Leeks are potatoes are known to work well together and I don’t know about you but I still have a ton of potatoes left to use up. I came up with some delicious potato leek pancakes that are gobbled up by everyone in my house, there have never been any leftover…ever.
So, here is what you need to gather to begin your adventure with these tasty little creations:
- 1 leek
- 3-4 small/medium sized potatoes, skin on
- 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup of bread crumbs (gluten free work great here too)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- butter
Use about a 3 inch section of the white part of the leek. Slice it into rounds and place in a pan with some butter.
Over low heat you are going to cook the leeks until they are brown and slightly crispy.
While that is happening on the stove top, go ahead and clean your potatoes and using the large hole, grate the potatoes.
Place the potatoes onto paper towel, or a clean dish towel. Squeeze as much liquid out of them as you can.
In a bowl gather the equal parts bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, adding the salt as well.
Place the potatoes into the bowl with the crumb mixture.
Your leeks should be browned by now, looking something like this.
Add them to the bowl as well and give a good mix to the ingredients, they will seem dry.
Using the same pan that you cooked the leeks in, add another bit of butter and melt it to coat the whole pan.
Place the mixture into the pan.
Press it down hard with a flat spatula and let it cook undisturbed for a few minutes over medium heat.
Flip the pancake, but be sure to sneak another bit of butter under it so the flipped side won’t stick.
When it’s done, I slide it onto a cutting board and slice it like a pizza. Check out my road runner pizza cutter, it pretty much rocks.
There you have it. It’s simple, delicious, and you won’t have any leftovers unless you make two. Enjoy!