Leek stuffed flatbreads
The aim of this recipe was to highlight how simple it is to make fast unleavened flatbreads, but being the veg geeks we are, we had to bring something from the fields into the mix. You could try this with any manner of filling or give the leeks whatever character you like (try mixing in blue cheese and walnuts instead of the curry paste, or maybe a dab of pesto or harissa). You can even just omit any filling and cook them individually as plain breads.
Cook's notes
If you are cooking over a gas hob or BBQ, you can flipflop the flatbreads across the open flames a couple of times with a pair of tongs, after they have cooked, to get some extra colour and attractive burnt edges.
Ingredients
- 2 leeks, trimmed, washed and finely sliced
- 1 tbsp of your preferred curry paste (see intro for other ideas)
- oil of your choice
- 250g strong bread flour
- fine sea salt
- mango chutney or mint & yoghurt to serve.
Method
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Step 1
Cook the leeks down with a pinch of salt and dash of oil for 10 -12 mins until soft and tender, driving away as much moisture as you can but taking care not to burn them. Stir in the curry paste and cook for a final 2-3 mins to cook out the spices. Remove from the heat and leave to one side to cool.
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Step 2
Remove 3 tbsp of the flour and keep to one side for dusting. Sieve the remaining flour into a bowl. Add 125ml of warm water, 1 tbsp of oil and ½ tsp of salt. Bring it together into a dough. Turn it out onto a work surface and knead for 5 mins, until smooth and elastic. If it’s too wet and sticky, dust with a bit more flour as you knead, until it behaves. Divide it into 6 equal pieces and form them into balls. Allow them to rest for 15 mins.
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Step 3
Dust the work surface and a rolling pin with a little flour. Squash the balls into fat discs in your palm, then roll them out as thinly as you can, into rough circles – ideally thin enough that you could read bold text through it.
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Step 4
Divide the cooled leeks between 3 of the flatbreads and spread them out until evenly covered. Top each one with one of the remaining flatbreads. Dust them with a little more flour and lightly roll with a rolling pin again to press them together and stretch a bit more. It doesn’t matter if a bit of the filling bursts out.
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Step 5
Put a large frying pan on the heat and get it nice and hot. Cook the flatbreads, one at a time, in the dry pan, until lightly coloured and starting to blister – about 30 seconds a side. Wrap the flatbreads in foil or a clean tea towel, stacked on top of one another, to keep them warm while you finish cooking them all.
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Step 6
Serve warm, cut into fat wedges, alongside a complimentary dip.