Leek and Maison DEHESA Sardine, by Josselin Marie

Leek croque-monsieur, smoked sardine sashimi and leek confit with squid ink.

Josselin Marie’s recipe, at the restaurant La Table de Colette

Serves 10

20 min preparation

1 hr 20 min cooking

Ingredients

Baby leeks

• 5 baby leeks
• 25 cl vegetable stock
• 7 cl salted soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon squid ink

Leek croques

• 10 sardine fillets
• 6 large slices of white sandwich bread
• 225 g leeks
• 25 cl liquid cream, 30% fat
• 15 g flour
• 1 egg
• salt
• pepper
• lightly salted butter

Method

Baby leeks

1. Wash the leeks and remove the green parts. Cut the baby leeks in half widthways.
2. Pan-fry the baby leeks in butter, add the vegetable stock, soy sauce and squid ink, then cook covered until the leeks are tender. Set aside at room temperature.
3. Reduce the squid ink, soy and stock marinade until syrupy.

Leek croques

1. Wash the leeks and remove the green parts. Cut the large leeks into 1 cm pieces.
2. Pan-fry the pieces of large leek in butter and cook covered.
3. Blend with the cream, the egg, the flour, salt and pepper.
4. Spread this filling over three slices of sandwich bread. Top each with another slice of sandwich bread and wrap the croques in cling film.
5. Cook the croques in a steam oven for 1 hr, then chill.
6. Trim the croques, removing the crusts and cutting each into 4 rectangles.

Plating

1. Place one croque rectangle on each plate and top with a sardine cut into 3.
2. On the other side of the plate, brush on a stroke of reduced marinade, then lay a baby leek on top.

Enjoy!