German Leek Pie

If you want to serve this with a classic German soup, tomatensuppe, or German bean soup would be perfect — or if you’re still in the mood for more bread, then flammkuchen is your best bet! 🙂

This leek and bacon pie might seem laborious because you have to prepare your own pie crust, but it really isn’t.  You cook the pie filling while waiting for the dough crust, and then it’s just a matter of rolling it out.

There is no need to be a perfectionist when placing the dough into the pie tin, either.   Remember, even the patches are not noticeable once the finished product is ready.

It’s all about balanced flavor.  So, season your leeks while cooking them, and the sour cream, cheese, and bacon will blend together for the rest of the filling — with the hint of the usual German spices, of course.

In our home, I typically enjoy German leek pie with a small serving of leafy salad and a glass of chilled white wine — and I’m a happy gal! 🙂

FOR MORE CLASSIC GERMAN RECIPES, CHECK OUT THESE POSTS!

Ingredients

• Flour – you only need all-purpose flour to make your German leek pie crust.

• Leeks – only use the white and light green parts; cut them in halves and chop them thinly.

• Bacon – gives more depth to the taste of leeks in the filling.

• Eggs – both for the crust and the filling.

• Butter – only for the crust.

• White wine – for cooking the leeks.

• Sour cream – to add creaminess and to balance the flavor of all the ingredients for the filling.

• Cheese – apologies that this is not included in the image above, (I totally forgot :/), but I always use Emmental for making bacon and leek pie.

• Sugar – only for the crust, so regular granulated sugar will work.

• Cornstarch – you need this for thickening and keeping the filling together.

• Spices and seasoning – paprika, cumin, nutmeg, and salt.

How to make leek and bacon pie

Start by making the pie crust: combine flour, softened butter, egg, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap it in a plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes.

While waiting for it, add the chopped bacon in a cold pan (or skillet).

Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until they become crunchy.

Scoop the bacon, transfer it to a plate, and set it aside for later.

Remove some of the bacon fat — keep about three tablespoons in the pan.

Add the leeks and cumin seeds.

Cook until the leeks have softened slightly, then pour the wine.

Continue cooking and let the wine evaporate, taste, and season by adding salt.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and take the dough from the refrigerator.

Unroll the dough and place it in a 9-inch pie tin.  Then, use a fork to randomly prick the bottom of the crust.

Cover with an aluminum foil and add some dried beans or rice on top.

Place in the oven for ten to twelve minutes — then set aside and let cool.

Combine in a mixing bowl: eggs, sour cream, cornstarch, paprika, nutmeg, and salt.

Add the grated cheese and the crispy bacon.

Mix and combine everything evenly.

Transfer the leeks into the prebaked crust — about two cups of cooked leeks is ideal.

Pour the bacon and sour cream mixture.

Place your German bacon and leek pie in the middle of the oven for forty-five to fifty minutes or until the top turns golden.

Set aside to cool, then transfer to a serving plate.

Slice and serve!

Helpful tips

• When prebaking the crust, ensure that the aluminum foil covers the sides of the pan to avoid browning them too much.

• Make sure the leeks are properly seasoned when cooking.  It helps in balancing the overall flavor of the pie.

• There is no need to drain the leeks once they’re cooked, but just leave any residual liquid when transferring them into the prebaked crust —- the leeks should be about two cups when cooked.

Recipe variation

• Onion.  Some sauté an onion first, then add the leeks for the filling.

• Light cream.   Yes, you can use light cream instead of sour cream or half the heavy cream and half the milk.

• Olive oil.   You can cook the leeks with olive oil instead of bacon fat, but that means you need to remove all the bacon’s tasty bits and flavor.  

If you prefer not to use bacon, though, then yes, you should use olive oil for cooking the leeks.  However, that will change the overall flavor of your German leek pie.

Are you tempted yet?  Give this bacon and leek pie recipe a try!  You will not regret it! 🙂

OR GET MORE IDEAS FROM THIS LIST OF PIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

FOR MORE GLOBAL DISHES, CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES BY COUNTRY!