Savory Cheese Triangles in Phyllo

(Plus: How to Clarify the Butter)
¼ lb. butter
2 lbs. leeks, white part only
6 oz. Montrachet or similar chevre
(goat cheese)
½ phyllo sheets
½ - ¾ lb. butter, clarified, for phyllo

Cut off all but 1” of soft green leaves of the leeks. Cut bottom of leek in an “X” & slice very thin. Soak in water & pull leeks out of water with strainer. Soak again. (Leeks are a root vegetable & very muddy!) Saute washed & sliced leeks in ¼ lb. butter about 10 minutes. Remove leeks & cool. Add crumbled cheese & stir into leeks. Taste for salt & pepper. Cut phyllo strips about 2 ½ inches wide with a sharp knife! Butter edges well. Lay another strip on top. Add filling on bottom & roll the flag fold. “Flash freeze” on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Later you can transfer them to bags & they won’t stick together. At serving time, defrost on cookie sheet with parchment about 20 minutes. Bake in 400° oven 11-12 minutes until barely light golden brown. Serve.
Clarified butter: allows you to cook at 400° without the butter burning or smoking. Simply boil butter on low heat in a heavy pan until butter is very clear, about 10 minutes. Scoop foam off the top & discard the “whey” at the bottom. It does reduce the volume of finished butter by one-half.