Recipes - Leek and Cheese Pudding with Pan-Fried Beetroot
Very few people make things like this pudding now, but once they would have been a major part of the diet - the protein of the cheese and eggs bulked out with bread. My father used to make a pudding like this with onions, which was delicious. I have substituted leeks, and served the pudding on slices of beetroot for a more sophisticated finish.
Lots of people love cooked cheese dishes, but find it difficult to come up with many variations. This idea is hardly new, but could easily be added to your repertoire.
Wash and clean the leeks and cook whole in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain well, cool and then cut in half lengthways. Lay flat-side down on the board, and cut into 5mm (1/4 in) shreds or strips, not too fine.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF / Gas 4. Butter a 1.2 litre (2 pint) pie dish, then sprinkle with some of the grated cheese.
Put a layer of leeks in the bottom of the dish, sprinkle with some of the breadcrumbs, then repeat this layering twice more.
Beat the eggs well together in a large bowl, then add the nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste, along with the rest of the cheese. Warm the milk and cream together, pour over the cheese mixture then gently pour all this over the leeks and breadcrumbs in the pie dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, then take out and leave to sit for 5 minutes while you pan-fry the beetroot.
Slice the beetroot into 5mm (¼ in) slices, and pan-fry in a medium frying pan in the butter for about 3 minutes. Turn over, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add a splash of vinegar, and some salt and pepper, and let it evaporate over the heat quickly.
Arrange slices of the beetroot in a circle on individual plates, and spoon a portion of pudding on top using a large metal spoon. Serve hot.
