Creamed Leeks and Onion (Puerros y Cebolla)

Using what's in the refrigerator

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 3 fresh onions (chopped) [cebolla]
  
• 3 cloves (whole) [clavos]
  
  
• 4 leeks (white part mostly) (chopped) [puerro]
  
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme [tomillo]
  
  
• 200gr cream (22%) [nata]
  
• 100gr milk [leche]
  
  
• Salt & pepper [sal y pimienta]
  

Directions:

1. Put oil in bottom of a cooking pan (cassaroule type, wide, not tall) - Medium heat (the onions will sizzle slightly when they go in)
   
2. Add onions & cloves - soften for 10 minutes or so. Do not brown - lower the heat if neccesary.
   
3. Toss and/or stir to cook evenly. Cook until they've lost their 'crunch'; they will be continuing to cook with the leeks later
4. Add a touch more oil to the pan if needed - heat it - medium heat again (for the slight sizzle)
   
5. Add leeks and thyme - soften for 5 minutes (again, until crunch is mostly gone) (toss and/or stir - still without browning anything)
   
6. Remove from heat; add cream - stir
7. Return to low heat; stir in some milk so that you have a thin cream sauce
8. Reduce for 10 minutes (don't boil it 'cause that makes the cream mess up)
9. Add salt & pepper (at the end)
10. The leeks and onions will be soft and creamy
    

Notes:

• Remove cloves and thyme before serving
  
• Make up to a day in advance and reheat using a little milk; re-do the salt and pepper
• Goes well with fish
• Cut the onions and leeks in julienne for a "finer", more French, presentation. Me, today I was going for a rustic, family, feel to the dish.
  

We're having this today with pan fried Monkfish tails (Rape a la Plancha).