Potato & Leek Gratin

justcallmetoni's Note:

A Weight Watchers recipe for an elegant but easy side dish. Posting it here to save for my Easter menu but thought other chefs might be interested as well. (Core or 2 points)

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth or 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 garlic cloves , shaved into thin chips
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 ½ lbs yukon gold potatoes
• 2 large leeks
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
• cooking spray (I like the olive oil variety for this dish)

Directions:

1. Place the broth in a large saucepan along with the seasonings (1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, garlic chips, salt and pepper).
2. Trim off the dark green part of the leek. (Use for another purpose.) Take the white-light green portion and split in half lengthwise. Place that in a water bath and rinse well, changing water as needed in order to remove all dirt and sand from the leek. Once clean, slice the leek into thin half discs. Place into the pot of seasoned broth.
3. Peel potatoes and slice very thin by hand or by using a mandoline or food processor. Slices should be less than 1/4 inch thick. Place potatoes in the saucepan.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Heat contents of the saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce flame to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tooth tender - you can bite'em but they still have some resistance - about 5 minutes.
6. Place the contents of the saucepan into 6 individual gratin dishes, ramekins or custard cups. Press down to level the tops. (should your mixture only partially fill the dishes, add a mixture of water and additional broth so that the tops of the contents is within a half inch of the lip of the dish.) Garnish with the remaining thyme.
7. Set the dishes on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Check for potatoes for doneness. Apply a *very* quick application of cooking spray to the tops to aide crispness. Cook an additional 10 minutes or until the potatoes are done and the tops are a crispy golden brown.
8. For Vegetarian do not use the Chicken Broth option.

Reviews

[Mikekey]

This was delicious! I made 2 changes. I didn't peel the potatoes and I made one large dish rather than individuals (cooking time was the same). I liked the subtle flavor of the shaved garlic. Hard to believe this is so low-fat.

[Boomette]

I used 1 1/2 teaspoon of dry thyme. This recipe reminds me of a leek soup. I love it and it's going to be perfect for my lunch this week. Thanks Toni :) Made for Photo tag game.

[Chef Kate]

This was an enormous hit at a dinner party. I followed instructions except did not spray the ramekins with oil during baking. I finished them and upended each in the center of a dinner plate. Not only were they delicious, but they looked great. No one could believe these were made without butter or cream. This recipe really makes the most of the potatoes and leeks. A lovely dish! Thanks, Toni!