Confit Leek with Tarragon
I grew up in a family that is not big on celebration and tradition. We never prepared anything special on every holiday or birthday. As a child, I often envied my friends and relatives. I wanted to get Christmas gifts from “Santa”, help my mom prep Christmas dinners, decorate a Christmas tree, or even get a present on my birthday instead of eating out at the same restaurant over and over again. I know that my story perhaps only resonates with a few of you out there.
As I grew up and lived independently, I tried my best to compensate for what I was missing in my childhood, yet I often felt like it was not enough. I sometimes buy gifts for myself, but I forget to celebrate wins (for example, a job promotion).
This year has proven to be quite a tough year for my personal journey. Both sad and wonderful moments happened, and I never expected that it would be possible to feel both grief and joy at the same time. Regardless, I’m very grateful for this year and honestly, I feel like I’ve unlocked a new state of mind. I realized that life isn’t only about celebrating tradition. It’s also about doing what you like. If you feel like celebrating big, go for it. If you feel like celebrating on a much smaller scale, do it. If you don’t feel like not celebrating at all, you’re not a loser.
My goal this Christmas is to feel as cozy as possible, and that means cooking and prepping with less hassle. Next Christmas may be different, but I want to focus on the present. Hence, this year’s Christmas theme is “Cozy Christmas”. I’ve curated a menu idea that you can use. All the dishes below are one-pot, one-pan kinds of dishes so less washing for you.
Confit leek with tarragon
Today we’ll make the first dish on the menu, confit leek with tarragon. Initially, I wanted to cook leek with brown butter and lots of dill, but I felt that the flavor profile may overpower my main dish. Thus, I decided to confit the leeks in olive oil instead. Nice and slow.
I realized that life isn’t only about celebrating tradition. It’s also about doing what you like. If you feel like celebrating big, go for it. If you feel like celebrating on a much smaller scale, do it. If you don’t feel like not celebrating at all, you’re not a loser.
This dish is not meant to have a kick. It’s meant to be mellow, sweet, and elegant because I want it to complement the punchy and tangy porc au cidre.
I wish you all a jolly and cozy season so far. Stay tuned for the next newsletters where I’ll share the recipes for the rest of the menu!
Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Level of difficulty: 1/3
Keep for 1 week, refrigerated
Ingredients:
500g/ 17.6 oz. leeks
10 cloves garlic, peeled
2 sprigs tarragon
To taste, salt and pepper
250ml/ 1 cup olive oil
Steps:
Preheat oven to 160℃/ 320°F. Wash leeks thoroughly and chop them into about 3 cm/1-inch pieces. Transfer them to a baking dish (Mine is 28 cm/ 11.8 inches).
Add garlic cloves to the baking dish in between the leeks. Add tarragon and pour olive oil into the dish. Season with some salt and pepper.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes and flip all the leeks to the other side. Bake for another 40 minutes. Uncover the foil and serve as a side dish.