Cruising the supermarket, I figured I could do an interpretation of the dish and tweak it a little bit. I'm not much of a fan of Brussels sprouts, but I do love leeks. Seriously, in restaurants, if an entree has leeks as a side dish, I will order the entree on that basis alone. So, with that in mind, I swapped out the Brussels sprouts and cooked up a winner!
Braised Leeks & Parsnips
- 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-2" chunks
- 3 leeks (white and light green parts), cleaned, quartered and cut into 1-2" slices
- 1 oz pancetta (I get mine at Trader Joe's)
- olive oil
- 1/3 - 1/2 c. chicken stock
- salt & pepper
Cook pancetta in a large pan on medium heat, until it starts to crisp and gives off all its fat, about 5 mins. Transfer pancetta to a paper towel to drain. Keep the pancetta fat in the pan and add the parsnips. Toss in the pan with salt & pepper and leave in a single layer for 4-5 mins until one side is seared. Toss again and sear for an additional 4-5 minutes. Add leeks and cook 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add the chicken stock, reduce heat and simmer ~5 minutes. Remove lid and let the remaining liquid cook off. Transfer to serving platter, top with pancetta and enjoy!
