Braised Leeks
Kombu, White Chocolate, Coconut Fat, and Trout Roe
Chef Jake Howell of Peninsula | Nashville
Yield: 6 servings
Adapted by StarChefs | April 2022
INGREDIENTS:
White Chocolate Sauce:
200 grams chopped leek tops
3 tablespoons olive oil
390 grams heavy cream
130 grams white chocolate chips
Roasted Leeks:
1 bunch chopped leek bottoms
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 sheets kombu
To Assemble and Serve:
6 tablespoons coconut fat, warm
6 tablespoons trout roe
METHOD:
For the White Chocolate Sauce:
Heat oven to 450°F. In a bowl, toss leek tops in oil. Transfer to a sheet pan and roast until well-caramelized. In a medium-sized pot over low heat, add caramelized leeks and 400 grams water. Simmer until water has taken on the leek flavor, approximately 2 hours. Stir in heavy cream then remove from heat. Let steep 1 hour. Strain through a chinois. While emulsifying with an immersion blender, add white chocolate in batches. Reserve.
For the Roasted Leeks:
Heat oven to 450°F. In a bowl, toss leek bottoms in oil. Place 2 sheets kombu on the bottom of a hotel pan, add leeks, then cover with remaining kombu. Cover hotel pan with a lid then roast until fork tender, 40 to 60 minutes. Let cool. Cut leeks into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
To Assemble and Serve:
Char Roasted Leeks with a blowtorch then heat in oven until warmed through. In a small pot, heat White Chocolate Sauce to 140°F.. Place 4 Roasted Leek pieces in each serving bowl. Spoon 1 ½ tablespoons White Chocolate Sauce and 1 tablespoon warm coconut fat into the base of each bowl so it surrounds the Roasted Leeks. Top Roasted Leeks with trout roe.
