Large Plates
Potager Beef and Leek Stew with Popovers
Simple, yet elegant, this may be one of the most cherished family meals at our Weston table. In her cookbook, POTAGER, Georgeanne Brennan chronicles the seasonal bounty of a kitchen garden and provides a roadmap for planning recipes that take full advantage of the earth's ever rotating harvest schedule. In winter, before the soil freezes solid and a potager is mostly resting and waiting for the sun's warmth to return in early spring, the last of the leeks are pulled and stored. This limited ingredient, simple recipe showcases the delicate sweetness of this classically prepared French plate--low and slow cooking until the leeks become meltingly buttery and a relatively inexpensive cut of beef is tender and falling apart. The addition of balsamic vinegar coaxes a subtle sweetness from the meat. The velvety texture of the braised leeks and the aroma of freshly baked bread towers creates a hearty weeknight meal fit for a ravenous crowd. There never seem to be enough popovers to soak up the delicious juices, but when someone thinks no one is watching, a bit of slurping right from the bowl may be heard.
