Warm potato leek salad is a perfect side dish, and cheesy mornay sauce makes it extra special. Serve it family style in a big bowl with a spoon.
Chef Chris Gama
Clementine Cafe
Ingredients
Confit Potatoes
1 lb Fingerling or baby yellow potato, washed and sliced into 1/4 inch coins
3 cups olive oil
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic
Melted Leeks
2 large leeks, light green and white part only, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds and soaked in cold water to remove excess dirt
1/4 cup olive oil (the oil from cooking the potatoes can be used for this application)
2 tsp salt
Mornay Sauce
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup cream
2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper
Assembly
1 lb confit potatoes
2 large leeks, melted
1 Tbsp pickled jalapeno, minced
3 Tbsp pickled ramps or pickled onion, minced
4 Tbsp celery, small dice
2 Tbsp sliced Green Onion
Salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper
Fresh dill, picked
Mornay sauce
Sourdough breadcrumbs
Korean chili flakes, lightly toasted
Method
Confit Potatoes
- Place olive oil, bay leaves, and garlic in a large pot over medium heat. Heat the oil to 250°F. Carefully add potatoes and cook, trying to maintain a temperature of 190°F-200°F for about 20-30 minutes until potatoes are cooked through but still hold their shape.
- Drain potatoes and reserve. The cooking oil can be saved in the freezer and reused.
Melted Leeks
- Add leeks, oil, salt and 2 Tbsp water to a medium size pot and cook over low/medium heat for about 15 minutes until the leeks are tender. Reserve.
Mornay Sauce
- Place grated cheeses in a medium size mixing bowl.
- Melt butter in a medium size pot over medium heat, then add garlic, onion and bay leaf.
- Stirring often, cook for 8-10 minutes until garlic and onions are soft. Add the milk and cream, bringing to a simmer. Pull out bay leaf and discard.
- Transfer hot milk and cream mixture to a blender and mix on high speed until completely smooth. Add cheese mixture and blend on high. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assembly
- Mix potatoes, leeks, jalapeño, ramps (or onions) and celery in a pan with a splash of water and place over low heat until warmed through. Fold in the green onion and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with desired amount of mornay sauce, picked dill, breadcrumbs and a bit of Korean chili flakes.
Yield 6 servings warm potato leek salad
