Prep time :
About 10 – 15 minutes
Servings :
4 – 6 servings
Cook time :
40 minutes
Yield :
28cm pie
Total time :
50-55 minutes
How to make the best french leek pie ?
Making a classic french leek pie is pretty easy. If you love leek but don’t really know what to cook with it, this is a recipe you might want to try. I love leek and I could literally add it to all my food recipes but I have a very picky husband who is not the biggest fan of vegetables. When I say, you might want to try this recipe, it is because my super picky husband has fallen in love with this pie and surprised us.
This pie requires ingredients that are easily available everywhere and it can also be modified and adjusted according to the ingredients found around your geographical location. For example, for the finishing touch, I like to add some french cheese to my pie. However, the base ingredients remain the same. If you are like me, who likes trying different things on recipes, I think this pie is an excellent way to try out different experiments.
Working with leek is not always the easiest thing to do as it carries a lot of soil. Therefore, I would suggest that you thoroughly clean it when making this pie, if you don’t want to end up biting on some sand. Buying frozen pre-cut leek can make your work easier but if you choose to buy fresh ones, I suggest you thoroughly wash them at least few times after cutting them into smaller pieces.
Why french leek pie?
That’s a very good question! And the answer is also pretty simple, this pie is pretty easy to make and it can be served both in summer and in winter. It is also delicious both hot and cold. This can make your “entrée” or a complete meal accompanied by a little salad.
Key steps of making this french leek pie :
- I have a readymade pie crust, so i don’t need to make it from scratch.
- Preparing the leek and bacon, which is just cooking them for few minutes.
- Preparing and mixing all the wet ingredients
- Baking the pie
Ingedients :
- 3 leeks chopped (medium size) or about 500 grams of frozen pre-cut leek
- 200 ml light cream
- 50 ml milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 100 grams grated cheese (I have gruyere cheese)
- 100 grams of bacon
- I have used a french roquefort cheese to top it (this is completely optional)
- A pinch of nutmeg (I use nutmeg on all my pies) and some spices like ground coriander and cumin – (Once again this is completely optional, I just add little spices on almost all of my recipes)
- 1 clove of chopped garlic (Optional)
Step by step method :
Step 1
Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees C.
Step 2
Cut the leek into smaller pieces if you are using fresh leeks and wash thoroughly.
Step 3
Place the pie crust on the baking pan.
Step 4
On a medium high heat cook the bacon till golden brown. Remove and place aside. On the same pan add butter to the bacon fat and cook the leek. I seasoned my leek with the spices but salt, pepper and ground nutmeg should be enough.
Step 5
Once the leek has dried and cooked until golden brown, it is ready. Spead the bacon and the leek over the pie crust.
Step 6
Now in a large bowl, break two large eggs. Add cream and milk and the spices (in my case ground cumin, coriander, a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg).
Step 7
Add the grated gruyere cheese and chopped garlic (garlic is optional) and mix everything properly. Pour this mixture to the pie crust layeryed with bacon and leek.
As you can see, I topped my pie with some french roquefort cheese. This step is totally optional as it is not possible to find french cheese everywhere. I do this specially when i have some leftover cheese remaining in my fridge.
Step 8
Bake the pie for about 35 to 40 minutes at 180 degrees C. It should be ready in 35 minutes but if you like it to be little browner, you can bake it for additional 5 minutes.
