Apples Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Leeks

4 large apples, cored, one strip of skin removed from the circumference of each apple
1 cup white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 dried, imported bay leaf
Fine sea salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks, white part only, well-rinsed, and diced
2 tablespoons bottled water
7 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Flat-leaf parsley for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400 Fº.

2. Place the apples in a baking dish and pour the wine around them. Add the bay leaf to the wine. Lightly salt the interior of the apple.

3. Place 1 tablespoon of the butter and the leeks in a large, heavy saucepan adn cook, stirring and shaking the pan, until the leeks begin to turn transparent. Add 1 tablespoon of the water, stir, and cover the pan. Continue cooking until the leeks are tender, about 10 minutes, adding additional water if necessary to prevent the leeks from sticking to the pan.

4. When the leeks are cooked, transfer them to a mixing bowl. Add the goat cheese and crème fraîche and stir until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Gently stuff each apple with an equal amount of the goat cheese and leek mixture, pressing it into the cavity and mounding it on top. Top each apple with one fourth of the remaining tablespoon of butter.

6. Bake in the center of the oven until the apples are tender and the goat cheese is dark golden on top, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer one apple to each of four warmed plates. Garnish the plate with sweet cicely or the parsley and serve immediately.

4 SERVINGS