leek & chèvre brûlée

baked cheese? yes, please! many of us know and love the dessert fave, crème brûlée. total crowd pleaser. this time around, put the brûlée in the cheese with this fantastic savory appy — leek & chèvre brûlée.

this culinary experiment was inspired by (and adapted from) an easypeasy recipe from my fave cooking show on the telly – cbc’s best recipes ever (thanks, kary osmond!). based on ingredients on-hand in my pantry, here’s my take on this fantastic, savory appetizer… it was a fab hit at a dinner party i recently hosted for some good friends on the weekend! :)

leeks are part of the same family as onion and garlic, so they add some really fantastic flavour to soups, dips and other dishes.

prep the leeks:
– cut off the dark green ends and slice leeks lengthwise in half. rinse well w/ cold water in between layers to remove excess soil & sand.
– chop 2 leeks into small bite-sized pieces. yields approx 2 cups chopped leeks.
(tip: as a leek novice, i turned to one of my fave mags, real simple, for a step-by-step video on how to prepare leeks. super helpful!) 

sauté & simmer:
– heat up 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo) in saucepan on medium heat
– add 3 cloves garlic (minced) and 2 shallots (rough chop) until slightly browned
– add pinch of herbes de provence
– add dash of sea salt & pinch of cayenne pepper
– add 2 cups leeks (chopped) and a dash of salt
– simmer & stir frequently for approx 5-6min, until semi-soft & golden brown
– add 1/4 cup water to saucepan, and fold into leeks
– remove from heat & set aside

the savory goodness:
combine & fold the following ingredients in mixing bowl until smooth:
– 250g chèvre frais (fresh goat cheese, at room temperature)
– 1/4 cup fresh italian parsley (finely chopped)
– season w/ ground black peppercorns

– add sauteed leeks (and any remaining sauce from pan) into bowl
– fold leeks into chèvre until well combined
– transfer leek chèvre mixture into 2-3 small ramekins
– cover ramekins and refrigerate to set for 20-30min
– broil leeks & chèvre mixture ramekins (uncovered) in oven at 375F for approx 5min, until golden brown

food styling:
– ready to serve in small ramekins along w/ sliced artisan sourdough bread or mini baguette crackers
– best served warm