Potato Cake With Creamed Leeks and Escargot

Molly53's Note:

An appetizing first course from the flavor center of the universe, Louisiana. Courtesy of Chef John Neal of Peristyle, featured in The Louisiana New Garde television series. If you shudder at the thought of snails, please feel free to substitute morsels of meat or chicken for them.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 50 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 slices smoked bacon , diced
• 2 leeks , white parts only (well cleaned and coarsely chopped)
• ½ cup heavy cream or ½ cup whipping cream
• 3 baking potatoes
• 8 escargot
• 4 tablespoons peanut oil

Tomato Sauce

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion , peeled and chopped
• 2 (28 ounce) cans plum tomatoes (Progresso preferred)
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8; teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:

1. For the tomato sauce: heat olive oil; saute onions until soft.
2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. For the creamed leeks and escargot:.
4. In a medium skillet, cook the diced bacon for five minutes; add leeks and cook until tender.
5. Add cream and cook until thickened.
6. For the potato cake:.
7. Peel and grate the potatoes.
8. Place on a teatowel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
9. Spread potatoes out evenly and season with salt and pepper.
10. Cut the spread potatoes in half; divide each half into quarters.
11. Place 1/4 of the leek mixture on four potato sections; divide the escargot among those four sections.
12. Cover with the remaining four potato sections.
13. Press each one down to ensure the filling is secure in each cake.
14. Heat peanut oil in large skillet to 360F; carefully ease each cake into pan and cook until golden brown, about five minutes.
15. Carefully turn with a spatula to cook on the other side.
16. To serve, spoon a puddle of tomato sauce on a heated serving plate; place cooked potato cake on top of the sauce.