Trim the roots of the leeks, pull away and discard any damaged, tough or wayward leaves, then rinse the leeks in cold water as best you can without splitting them

Cut the leeks into 4cm-long logs and rinse again if any have dirt hidden in the exposed layers (again, make sure they don’t fall apart)

Hard boil the eggs (I do this for eight minutes), then drain and peel

Arrange the leeks like standing logs in a buttered, roughly 25cm baking dish, packing them in quite closely

Spoon over five tablespoons of olive oil and six teaspoons of water, then cover the dish with foil and bake at 200C (180C)/390F/gas 6 for 30 minutes

Lift off the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, by which time the leeks should be tender and just a little golden

Pull the dish from the oven and keep warm

Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan, then, as soon as it starts to foam, whisk in the flour until it forms a paste and pull off the heat

Add a little of the milk, whisk to a smooth paste, then return the pan to the heat and add the remaining milk in a steady stream, whisking continuously, until it almost boils Season with salt, nutmeg and black pepper to taste, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring and whisking often, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon

Stir in the cheese until melted and incorporated

Cut the hard-boiled eggs in half, then nestle them in between the baked leeks

Pour the bechamel over the top, then finish in a hot oven or under the grill until the top bubbles