First Courses

Roasted Leeks

Roasting leeks in the oven mellows their oniony flavor and brings out the vegetables’ natural sweetness.   As they cook the outer leaves blacken and turn brittle while the inside layers soften, becoming tender but retaining just the right amount of vegetable crunch.

In France, leeks have been called “poor man’s asparagus”, and are available year round unlike the fat white asparagus preferred by the French, which have a short growing season, arrive in the market tied up in bundles with ribbons and bows and are indeed, very expensive! When shopping for leeks, look for those which have bright, crisp green tops, and white firm stalks without splitting or dryness. Medium size leeks will be sweeter, less stringy and better for eating whole than large, overblown ones which are best chopped up and thrown in the stockpot.

Leeks are grown in sandy soil that can get caught up in their many layers.  To clean them for roasting, cut off the tough, dark green leaves, then split them down one side, starting at the top and running your knife half way down the length of the stalk (you want to open them up enough to wash out the grit but still keep them intact). If you like the whiskery look of the root end, you need do nothing more than just give their earthy beards a trim, otherwise cut off the bottom but leave enough of the base to keep the leek from falling apart. After that, they just need a wash under running water or to be swished around in a bowl of water to remove any dirt trapped between the leaves.

In this recipe the mild, slightly sweet leeks are sprinkled with hard cooked eggs and crispy, buttery croutons and livened up with a bold, red wine vinaigrette–In classic French cuisine the chopped egg garnish is known as « oeuf mimosa » because of its resemblance to a flowering yellow plant by the same name. The leeks would be equally good served with an anchovy-mustard dressing or just a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.

The roasted leeks can be served straight away or prepared in advanced and kept in the refrigerator, but take them out at least an hour before serving. They can be served cool, but not cold.

 

 

Roasted Leeks

Roasted Leeks

Ingredients

    Serves 4
  • 4 medium size leeks, trimmed and washed as described above
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 2 medium size eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 slices of good quality sandwich bread cut into ½ inch croutons
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 small shallot, finely minced
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C)
  2. Put the eggs in a small pot and add enough cold water so the eggs are completely submerged. Put the pot over a high heat, uncovered. As soon as the water comes to a boil, remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Leave the eggs in the hot water, undisturbed for 10 minutes. Transfer the eggs from the pot of hot water to a bowl of cold water and cool 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, peel and finely chop or grate using a box grater.
  3. Pat the washed leeks dry and then using kitchen twine, tie them up with so the sliced upper leaves do not fan out. Place them on a roasting pan and brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place in the oven. Roast 20-25 minutes or until you can insert a knife through the leek without much resistance.
  4. While the leeks cook, melt the butter in a wide sauté pan. Add the croutons and cook over medium-low heat until the cubes are brown and crispy. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the pan and drain on paper towel.
  5. To make the vinaigrette, whisk the red wine vinegar with ½ teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Add the ground pepper and shallot and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Before serving, whisk in 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside.
  6. When the leeks are ready, remove the string, slice from top to bottom to open them up. Sprinkle with the chopped egg and croutons and lightly dress with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper and serve the remaining vinaigrette on the side.
https://www.charlottepuckette.com/recipes/first-courses/roasted-leeks/

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