Leeks are a great winter favourite – more subtle in flavour than onions and adding more bulk than they do, so that leeks are a great ingredient for pies and soups. This recipe teams leeks with potatoes, a classic combination that brings out the best in both.

If you grow your own leeks, you should have lifted them before the weather got too bad, as they can go slimy in extreme cold, and either frozen them or heeled them into some growing medium (compost or sand for example) a sheltered corner of the garden or plot.

This recipe is rich and tasty and makes a great winter warmer – for vegetarians you can leave out the bacon, but if you do eat meat it adds an extra level of tastiness.

Leek and Potato Bake

600ml vegetable stock

1 kilo of potatoes, thinly sliced

6 leeks, well washed to ensure they aren’t gritty, and thinly sliced into rounds

25 grams butter

(optional) 3-4 rashers of bacon, diced

3 tablespoons double cream

Thyme

Method

Heat oven to 200C or gas 6. Put the stock in a large saucepan and bring to the boil before adding the potatoes and leeks. Simmer for five minutes and then drain, but pour the stock into a jug and keep it.

Butter a large baking dish and strew it with the mixed potatoes and leeks in rough layers, seasoning them with salt and pepper as you go. If you are using bacon, sprinkle it over the top of the bake at this point with the thyme, or just thyme alone if you’re making the vegetarian version. Gently pour 200 ml of the stock over the bake and then spoon the cream over the top too. Cover with foil and bake for twenty minutes then remove the foil to allow the top to crisp a little for a further twenty minutes.