Braised Leeks, Peas and Little Gems
Making for the perfect vegetable side dish, these braised leeks, peas and little gems are a colourful addition to a table. Add rich cream, white wine and bacon.
From the book
The Pressure Cooker Cookbook
150 mouthwatering recipes for the pressure cooker.
Quick and easy one pot meals for busy weeknight dinners.
From pot-roast chicken and seafood risotto, to chocolate pots and cheesecake.
Introduction
A perfect summer vegetable side dish, which I can also quite happily eat on its own, especially if I add the bacon. If you want to transform this into something a bit more wintry, substitute the Little Gems with roughly shredded savoy cabbage. When you quarter the Little Gems, try to make sure that the leaves stay attached to the base. Neither the cream nor the alcohol is essential, but they do make for a slightly richer dish.
Ingredients
| 50g | butter |
| 1 tbsp | olive oil |
| 2 | leeks, cut into 2cm rounds |
| 75g | bacon or pancetta lardons (optional) |
| 2-3 | Little Gem lettuces, quartered lengthways |
| 2 tbsp | white wine or Noilly Prat (optional) |
| 250g | fresh or frozen peas |
| 50ml | double cream (optional) |
| Salt and freshly ground pepper |
Essential kit
You will need: a pressure cooker.
Method
Melt the butter in the base of the pressure cooker until it starts to foam, then add the olive oil. Throw in the leeks and bacon and fry until starting to go brown around the edges. Add the Little Gems and gently turn around in the butter until they also start to go brown. If using, add a couple of tablespoons of white wine or Noilly Prat to the pan and let it bubble for a minute. Otherwise, add a splash of water and do the same, then add the peas and season with salt and pepper.
Close the lid, bring to high pressure and cook for 1 minute only, then allow to drop pressure naturally. If you want to make this very rich, add the cream. Heat it through, making sure that the lettuces are well coated.
