Crozets Gratin with Ham & Leeks

📝 Ingredients

• 300 g buckwheat crozets
• 3 leeks (about 200 g each)
• 1 shallot
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 chicken stock cube + 900 ml hot water
• 6 slices cooked ham (about 40 g each)
• 100 ml light single cream, 12 %
• 80 g grated Gruyère
• Salt, black pepper, nutmeg

🍴 Utensils

• Large sauté pan
• Saucepan
• Ladle
• Wooden spoon
• Baking dish

📖 Steps

1. Trim the root end and dark green tops of the leeks, split them in half lengthways and rinse under cold water, separating the layers to wash out any soil. Slice into 5 mm half-moons and finely chop the shallot.
2. In a saucepan, dissolve the stock cube in the hot water and keep this stock at a gentle simmer over a low heat throughout the cooking: cold stock would stop the crozets cooking each time you add it.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium heat. Fry the shallot for 1 minute, add the leeks with a pinch of salt and sweat them for 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent but not coloured.
4. Add the crozets and stir for 1 minute to coat them in the fat. Pour in a ladleful of hot stock and stir until it is almost absorbed, then continue ladle by ladle over a medium heat for 18 to 20 minutes. Preheat the oven grill.
5. Taste the crozets: they should be tender but still have a slight bite, surrounded by a creamy liquid. If you run out of liquid before the end, add a little hot water; if there is stock left over, there's no need to add it all.
6. Off the heat, add the ham cut into strips, the cream, some pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir gently: the texture should be saucy, a little runnier than a risotto, as it will thicken further in the oven.
7. Pour into a gratin dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle the grated Gruyère over in a thin, even layer, then put at the top of the oven under the grill for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Keep an eye on it at the end: the grill burns quickly.
8. Leave the gratin to rest out of the oven for 3 minutes before serving, so the sauce firms up slightly and doesn't run on the plate. Serve piping hot, straight from the dish.