Spicy béchamel potatoes with leek and carrot vegetables

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 800 g potatoes, smaller, same size
• 4 carrots
• 300 g leek
• ½ bunch chives
• some olive oil
• 50 g diced ham
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 125 ml vegetable stock
• 125 ml milk
• Salt
• pepper
• some nutmeg, freshly grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

as a side dish to schnitzels or as a main course on its own

Wash the potatoes thoroughly and boil in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes. Peel, rinse, and slice the carrots. Cut the leek lengthwise, rinse thoroughly, and slice into rings. Rinse the chives, shake dry, and cut into small rolls. Bring water to a boil in a pot, add a little salt, and briefly blanch the carrot slices and leek rings. Drain into a sieve and refresh in ice-cold water. In a second pot, fry the ham cubes for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and melt. Stir in 1 tablespoon of flour and sauté. Stir in the vegetable stock and milk, stirring constantly, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Don’t forget to stir frequently, or lumps will form. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Drain the potatoes, let them steam off briefly, peel, and add them to the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan and sauté the blanched vegetables for about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the béchamel potatoes with the leek and carrot mixture on plates and sprinkle with chives. Serve with breaded schnitzel or chicken cordon bleu.