The smell of sliced leeks cooking in a touch of butter and white wine is truly remarkable. With their light onion flavor and natural sweetness, leeks are a wonderful base for not only soups, but on their own as the base of a side dish like this one. For this recipe, I combined halved cherry tomatoes and leeks in a saute–braised in a touch of white wine, butter and chicken stock, and then served with the crunch of hazelnuts and the creamy, pungent flavor of Gorgonzola cheese. Such a colorful and unique side dish that works very well alongside grilled fish or even a fragrant roast chicken or turkey breast.
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Braised Leeks & Cherry Tomatoes with Gorgonzola and Hazelnuts
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 leeks, root end and dark green parts removed, white and light green sections thinly sliced and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- Splash of chicken or vegetable stock
- For serving: chopped hazelnuts, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, snipped fresh chives
Directions:
- In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add in the prepped leeks and cherry tomatoes; season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, or until the leeks begin to soften.
- Add in the white wine and stock, reduce the heat to low. Cook an additional 8-10 minutes, or until the liquid is half absorbed and the vegetables very tender.
- Serve warm with snipped fresh chives, chopped hazelnuts and a sprinkling of crumbled cheese.
Tagged: blue cheese, braised leeks, braised vegetables, braising, butter, cherry tomatoes, chicken stock, fresh chives, Gorgonzola cheese, hazelnuts, leeks, side dish, white wine
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