L is for: Leeks {FnB Style, Braised w/ Mozzarella & Dijon Breadcrumbs}

When I was in Arizona for work a couple months ago, I had the pleasure of sampling several restaurants in the Scottsdale area. FnB is one that has continued to stick with me, and when people ask about my favorite restaurant in Scottsdale, it’s always in my top 3.

The restaurant was not only named one of the best new spots in the country back in 2010, but their braised leeks were named one of the top ten *dishes* in America by Food and Wine Magazine that year. They even developed their own hash tag, #leekapalooza.

I’m here to tell you they lived up to the hype. Such a simple combination of flavors, yet so good. Like, I’ve had dreams about these leeks. I decided to recreate them so I scoured the world wide web in hopes of finding a recipe. All I found was this cheesy morning news segment which wasn’t very helpful.

I love leeks. Leeks look like giant scallions. They are similar to an onion, but much milder. They are also extremely dirty, so you must wash them thoroughly. To use them in this particular recipe, trim tough green portions and root ends from leeks leaving about 5-6 inches of white and pale green portions. Discard any tough outer layers. Cut lengthwise and rinse under cold running water to remove dirt. Drain on paper towels.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook until butter is melted and starting to foam but not browning. Place leeks, cut side down, into pan and season with salt. Squeeze lemon slices into pan and place slices next to leeks. Add thyme sprigs to pan. Cooke 3-4 minutes, or until leeks start to brown. Flip, season with more salt, and cook an additional 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with chicken broth and a splash of wine (enough to submerge leeks halfway), scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Flip leeks back over and bring liquid to boiling. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until leeks are easily pierced with a paring knife.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix in Dijon mustard and then breadcrumbs. Place leeks in a small gratin dish, cover with freshly shredded mozzarella and bread crumb mixture. At FnB, they use house-made mozzarella. Clearly I wasn’t *that* ambitious. But I would recommend getting the good stuff from the fancy cheese section of the grocery store and grating it yourself. Broil 5-6 minutes, or until cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are golden brown.

While leeks are broiling, fry your egg. To cook perfect sunny-side-up eggs, I like to use this method I learned from the Pioneer Woman. Now, I’m going to admit, I was in a hurry when I was making this and did what she recommended NOT doing, which was to cover the egg to steam it a little. Looking back, I probably wouldn’t have done this because the yolk got just a *smidge* more cooked than I would like.

Basically, I melt a combo of butter and oil in a non-stick skillet and spoon the hot fat over the egg whites to cook them without having to flip them over. Yes, I realize this is not very healthy. No, I don’t care.