Leek and Sorrel Custards

We were lucky to find ourselves with some of spring’s first vegetables from Persephone Farm, and I wanted to make something interesting to honor the eggs and ingredients. This recipe is loosely adapted from the delicious Local Flavors. It looks and tastes awfully fancy, but it was astoundingly easy to make! I think that it could be very flexible, as well. Stick with 1 cup sauteed vegetables and 4 oz of leafy greens and the dairy proportions. Let me know what you come up with!

serves 4, individual portions

1 cup chopped leeks

3 tbls. butter

4 ounces sorrel, chopped coarsely

1 kosher salt

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup whole milk

3 eggs

ground white pepper

crumbled bacon for the top (optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Set a teapot of water on to heat.
2. Melt butter in skillet over medium-low. Use this melted butter to brush the insides of 4 half-cup ramekins.
3. Add the leeks to the remaining butter in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the sorrel and 2 tbls. of water to the skillet. Stir around and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. (The sorrel will begin to loose some of its lovely green color, but it will look fine in the end.)
5. Add milk and cream and stir. (You just want to heat this a little.)
6. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until it is your desired level of ’smooth.’ Add in the eggs and blend for just a tiny bit more. (I found it easiest to use the cylindrical container that came with my immersion blender.)
7. Set the ramekins in a glass baking pan. Fill with mixture. Pour hot water into the baking pan so that it comes almost to the top of the ramekin.
   
   
8. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the ramekins carefully with tongs.
9. Garnish with bacon.

Serve with fresh bread and garden salad with potato croutons.

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