Spinach & Feta Stuffed Leeks

Leeks are so good stuffed, and spinach and feta are so good together and stuffed into leeks. With cheese, of course. So, so good. This is, I suppose, a kind of Spanakopita without the pastry, which is always a good idea for me. In this case I wasn't even thinking about that; just about how much I like leeks and how good they are stuffed.

I go into some detail about how to prepare the leeks, but once you have it down, making stuffed leeks is about the same level of difficulty as making a lasagne, and the dishes take a similar amount of time to do. You could do this into the winter with frozen spinach, which would have to be thawed in advance but would probably cut almost 15 minutes from the prep time.

4 to 6 servings
2 hours - 1 hour prep time

Prepare the Leeks & Spinach:
4 large leeks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
300 grams (10 ounces; 1 1/2 cups) cooked drained spinach

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Wash and trim the roots and green from the leeks, and cut the remainder into 2 equal long pieces. Save any pale green parts that are usable for some other dish.

Boil the leek pieces for 7 to 8 minutes, then plunge them into cold water to cool. Leave the pot of water on the stove as you will use it again. Cut the leek pieces to the middle, longwise, and remove the centres from them - remove the leaves that are too narrow to roll nicely and leave all that are wider. Flatten the sliced leeks out, and use them to create 12 similar rectangles to be rolled.

Wash and pick over the spinach. Reheat your pot of water to boiling and cook it for 1 or 2 minutes, then drain it well. Squeeze to remove as much water as possible, then chop the spinach.

Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Chop the leek leaves removed from the centres of the leeks and cook them gently in it until the butter is absorbed, just a few minutes. Mix this with the chopped spinach in a mixing bowl. This could be done in advance.

Stuff & Bake the Leeks:
2 tablespoons minced fresh OR 2 teaspoons dry dill weed
2 tablespoons minced fresh OR 2 teaspoons dry mint
freshly ground nutmeg, a few scrapes
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 large eggs
225 grams (1/2 pound) feta cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
100 grams (3 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese

Add the minced or dry herbs, pepper, and nutmeg to the chopped leeks and spinach. Break in the eggs and mix them in. Crumble in the feta and mix.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use the butter to grease a shallow baking pan into which the stuffed leeks will fit; about a 2 litre/quart dish. Divide the filling into 12 equal portions, and roll 1 portion up in each rectangle of blanched leek leaves. Arrange them in the baking tray in a single layer.

Bake the leeks for 15 minutes at 350°F. Meanwhile, grate the Cheddar. Sprinkle it evenly over the leeks then return them to the oven for another 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Posted in: Ontario Food