Springing a Leek

 On Thursday night we went out for my birthday supper at Olivio Carne, the sister to what is pretty much my favourite restaurant in London (Olivio near Victoria station) and I had pasta for the first time in nearly two months. My new rule is that food like that has to be worth it. And it was. A beautiful wild boar pappardelle. I also had plenty of Kate's duck ragù just to help her out.I've been wondering how to recreate one of my favourite dishes, ravioli con burro e salvia without pasta while I've been avoiding carbs. My new rules are that it's fine to occasionally eat what you want, and to not make sugar and wheat part of my daily diet. There seemed, after thinking about it, little point in trying to recreate ravioli, so here's a new dish based on those flavours.Leek is nature's cannelloni. And with this, instead of the traditional sage infused butter, a creamy sauce seemed a good idea. And to keep it dairy and wheat free meant almond milk and tapioca starch, so it's also gluten free. And vegan. And paleo. And Whole 30. It also dances the can-can for you while singing the Nessun Dorma. This should win awards for the most inclusive dish in the world. Unless you are allergic to nuts. Leave them out if you are. Unless you like risk.It's quite straightforward to make, once you get everything together. Just try not to spill double the amount of tapioca you need into the saucepan. This is very upsetting and can lead to a bit of a strop.Ingredients for two people as a starterFor the filling:420g roast butternut squash or pumpkin, diced40g almonds, skin on, chopped a little1 large clove of garlic, smashedA few young thyme sprigs1tbsp shiitake mushroom powder (optional)Pinch of chilli flakesA big squeeze of lemon juicesalt and pepperOlive oilFor the sauce:1 leek, light green part, pushed into tubesA large handful of sage leaves, shredded3tbsp Olive oilThin bits of middle of the leek, finely sliced300ml Almond milk1 1/2tbsp Tapioca starchSaltShredded sage leaves, chopped toasted almonds and dried borage flowers to serve, if you have them on the shelf in a jar and keep wondering what to do with them.MethodRoast the filling ingredients (apart from the lemon juice) at 200c for  25-30 mins, until soft and golden then leave to cool before adding the lemon juice and blitzing  until smooth (but not too smooth) in a food processor then put in a bowl. Taste it and adjust the lemon juice and seasoning if necessary.Cut the dark green and white parts off the leek and use for stock. Or, do what I did and forget about them in the back of the fridge then throw them away.Push out the inner tubes of the leek, leaving you with about six of the large outer tubes. Slice the inner ones then sauté them until soft in good olive oil, with sage and then season and transfer to a bowl. Add the almond milk and tapioca to the pan, heat and whisk until you have an emulsion as thick as double cream. Add the leek and sage mixture and leave to infuse for ten minutes before removing the sage stalks and blitzing the sauce in the food processor. If you prefer, you can leave it unblitzed, but I prefer it smooth.Stuff the leek tubes with the filling and cook gently in a little olive oil until soft. Turning occasionally and carefully. Chop some toasted almonds and get the sauce warmed.Put the sauce on plates, top with the leek then sprinkle over the almonds, sage leaves and borage flowers if using. Blowtorch the leek if you're feeling fancy. Finish with a drizzle of excellent olive oil and serve.

Roast chicken with mashed potato, creamy leeks, fennel seed and peas

I think it far better to buy a whole good chicken and roast it all than buy expensive packaged bits. At the very least you can make a really good chicken stock, let alone all the other dishes you can get from one bird. Try making three meals from two chicken breasts. Good luck.Chicken soup is one of my top five dishes and if I don’t have the time one week to make stock, I just freeze the roasted bones for later. We used this as the base for Ramen last week.This dish is so tasty and its simplicity is really rewarding. Slowly coking the leeks in butter makes them melting and rich, really comforting with the mash.Ingredients2kg whole chicken stuffed with onion, lemon and rosemary or tarragon. Season well1 large leek, slicedA handful of petits pois1tbsp fennel seeds2tbsp butter and a dash of olive oil2 large baking potatoesMethodRoast the chicken until the juices run clear and leave to rest, covered, for about 20 minutes.While roasting, chop and boil the potatoes until soft, drain and leave to steam dry.Slowly cook the leeks in a large sauté pan with the butter, oil and fennel seeds, Season well with salt. Cover with a circle of parchment and leave on a low heat for about half an hour, stirring occasionally. Add the peas and cook for a few minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of cream and check the seasoning.To make the perfect mashed potato, heat some cream, butter and milk in the pan the potatoes were cooked in. About 350ml in this case. Season well and add the potatoes. I leave the skins on for cooking and mashing for a better flavour, but feel free to peel them if you prefer. Mash them well and keep warm. If you want a really smooth mash, put them through a ricer before adding to the liquid.Carve the chicken, I always go for the leg and thigh, and serve on top of the mash and leeks. Pour over some of the roasting juices, add a sprinkle of parsley and serve with wholegrain mustard.