I made up this recipe a few months ago when I was scraping around for something to eat and didn't have much to go on. You know what I'm talking about - you dig around in your kitchen only to find a few sad ingredients straight from the Island of Misfit Toys and no hope that they would possibly make a meal - and a decent one at that.
In this case, I emerged from the depths of my refrigerator with a couple of potatoes, a quickly-withering leek purchased for a recipe I never actually made (I can't tell you how often that happens), and some cabbage. Let's be honest - at first blush that doesn't exactly sound too appealing. On a whim I cooked up the potatoes, sauteed the leeks and cabbage, combined them, and seasoned the whole mess. Delicious! I'm sure I'm not the first person in the entire world to make something like this, but it was new to me and I felt a little like a potato genius.
I've made this recipe several times since then (just to make sure it actually tastes good and wasn't just the hunger speaking the first time), and it has become a favorite. I particularly like using the leftovers as a really excellent filling for hand pies (see the photos at the bottom).
Peel and roughly chop two Russet potatoes - you'll have about 3-4 cups. Cook in boiling, salted water until they are firm, but easily smashed (they shouldn't loose too much texture or fall apart in the water).
Once the potatoes are done, drain and return to the cooking pot. Add 1-2 tablespoons butter, 1-2 tablespoons cream, and a healthy pinch of salt. Use a potato masher or, if your name is Micah and you don't own a potato masher, use a fork to smash the potatoes. The potatoes should retain some texture, so don't whip or cream them.
Meanwhile, clean and chop one leek, dark green parts only. In the photo below I used the middle section, discarding the tough bottom section and reserving the light green and white section for another use (let's be honest - probably soup).
You may need to cut off a few tough outer leaves as you're chopping (like the larger piece in the picture below.)
Now leeks are tricky - and kind of gross - to prepare. It is not easy to clean leeks and they generally come from the grocery store with lots and lots of dirt hidden in all of the stems, as you'll see in the pictures above and below. There are several ways to clean leeks (just do a quick Internet search), but my favorite way is to slice the leeks into rounds and soak them in a bowl of cold water for several minutes, like below. After soaking for a few minutes, I break up the rounds and kind of "scrub" them with my fingers (a little like a washing machine) to loosen the dirt. After several minutes of soaking and then a bit of rubbing, drain and rinse the leeks (and try not to get too grossed out by the really nasty soaking water!
Leeks are from the onion family and they look like a giant green onion. They have an "onion-y" flavor, but the flavor isn't as strong as a standard onion. Most grocery stores will sell leeks individually so you don't have to buy a whole bunch (which can get expensive). If your grocery store doesn't or if you simply don't want to work with leeks, you could use a white or yellow onion. I have not tried this variation, but imagine one chopped onion should be enough.
Dry the leeks with a towel (don't go crazy here, but you also don't want them to be too wet or they won't cook well), transfer to a cutting board, and chop the leeks. You want a medium or small dice - if the leeks are too long or stringy they'll be a bit gross.
This is the longest part of the whole process! I find it easiest to pile them on a big cutting board, then I start at one end of the pile and just attack and chop like a mad woman. I typically chop one direction, then rotate the cutting board 90 degrees and chop the other direction. You should end up with around 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped leeks. (If you have more than that, save them for something else. Like soup. Because soup is always a good idea.)
About halfway done. . .
And finished!
Finally, shred and chop 1/4 head of cabbage (make sure to remove the core, like below). I forgot to measure this part, but I think you'll end up with around 1-2 cups of cabbage.
Tip: If you don't want to purchase an entire head of cabbage you can purchase bags of pre-shredded cabbage in the bagged salad area OR ask your grocer to cut a head of cabbage in half for you. Most are happy to oblige, and this is cheaper per-pound than bagged cabbage. Honestly, any kind of bagged greens (lettuce, spinach, etc.) are generally much more expensive per-pound than buying a head or bunch and cleaning it yourself.
Melt 1-2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet (the largest you have) over medium to medium-high heat then add the leeks and cabbage.
Try not to crowd the pan, as cabbage gets smelly if it is cooked over heat that is too low or if gets to crowded in the pan (at least in my experience). Use the biggest skillet you have and spread the mix in a as thin a layer as you can so it cooks quickly.
Cook the leeks and cabbage for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are still brightly colored but just starting to brown, about 5-8 minutes (give or take).
Once the leeks and cabbage are cooked, remove from heat. If you have a lot of charred and browned bits on the bottom of the pan, deglaze with just a touch of cream or veggie broth (optional, but I'm a bit weird about these things). Add the smashed potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon (necessary!), and 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon all purpose salt-free seasoning (I love Mural of Flavor from Penzeys Spices, but I'm sure brands would work, or you could leave it out!). I also added a few twists of freshly ground black pepper and a healthy pinch of salt.
Mix all together, then taste and adjust seasonings as you'd like. I ended up adding a lot more salt to this batch, but that isn't always necessary. Sometimes I add a bit more butter and/or an extra splash of cream if I think it needs it.
Notes and variations:
- This recipe has a lot of leeks and cabbage and isn't particularly potato heavy. If you like a lot more potato and a bit less veg, consider using 3 (or even 4) potatoes but leaving the veg amounts the same. You'll have to increase the butter, cream and seasonings a bit to compensate.
- You could experiment with spinach or hearty greens in addition to or instead of the cabbage. I'm sure it would be delicious!
- This recipe makes a terrific filling for hand pies. Make a batch of your favorite pastry dough and use a bowl to cut out 4- or 5-inch rounds and add a few tablespoons of filling (not quite 1/4 cup). Then crimp the edges shut wit a fork, cut a few vents in the top, brush with an egg wash, and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Amazing!!! I don't have a picture of the finished product, but check out the pre-baked hand pies below. (Generally, pastry doughs FREAK ME OUT, but I've found this recipe to be reliably good - not good for you, mind you, but reliable and tasty. To make me feel slightly more virtuous, I use a cream cheese blended with Greek yogurt - available by the cream cheese boxes in my grocery store - and whole wheat pastry flour. But still.)
1-2 Russet potatoes, roughly chopped
1/4 head small green cabbage, coarsely shredded
1 leek, dark green parts only, sliced, cleaned, and chopped
3-4 tablespoons butter
3-4 tablespoons cream (or milk or a milk substitute . . .but cream is best)
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt-free seasoning (like Penzey's Mural of Flavor)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water. Cook until well done and easy to mash, but not mushy (they shouldn't be lose texture or shape).
2. In a separate pan, melt 1-2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat and cook the leeks and cabbage for several minutes until they are still brightly colored but just starting to brown, about 5-8 minutes (give or take). Remove from heat and set aside until the potatoes are done.
3. Once potatoes are finished cooking, drain them, add 1-2 tablespoons cream, a bit of butter (another tablespoon or so), and a pinch of salt. Smash with a fork or masher. You want the potatoes to have some texture, so don't whip or cream them.
4. Add smashed potatoes to the cabbage/leek mixture and combine. Add tarragon, salt-free seasoning, then salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
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