Leek, taleggio and thyme pie
The creamy taleggio and leeks cook down together to form a delicious, gooey filling, and the parsley adds a fresh note.
Serves 4-6
1 large baking potato, cut into slices
3 medium leeks, washed and sliced into rounds
A knob of butter
Salt and black pepper
20ml double cream
180g taleggio or similar cheese, cut into chunks
1 sprig thyme, leaves picked
500g all-butter puff pastry, rolled
1 egg, for washing
1 Heat an oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Cook the baking potato in boiling salted water until just tender, then drain and set aside.
2 Cook the leeks over a medium heat in the butter until tender. Season well with salt andpepper. Set aside.
3 In a bowl, mix the potato flesh with the leeks, cream, taleggio and thyme leaves and season well. Cut the pastry in two and roll outeach piece into a 3mm-thick circle. Place one circle on top of a 25cm nonstick pie dish and press into the base – there will be an overhang, which can be trimmed off.
4 Spoon the leek mixture into the prepared dish and place the other pastry disk on top. Crimp around the sides to seal, then brush thetop with egg and make an incision in the middle of the lid to let the steam escape whileit's in the oven. Cook the pie for 30‑40minutes until the pastry has turned golden and crisp. Rest for a few minutes before serving.
Recipe supplied by Ben Tish, saltyardgroup.co.uk
Leek and fat pepper curry
This quickfire recipe is a blend – a kind of East meets Welsh. Applying some Eastern zing to the symbol of Welsh pride – the leek – it's supremely healthy, packing in spices, peppers and leeks bursting with flavour into a colourful lip-smacking dish.
Serves 4
4 peppers: a mix of green, yellow and red
6 medium-sized leeks, sliced
2 onions, finely sliced into rings
4 tbsp olive oil, for frying
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
2 green chillies, chopped
200g tinned chopped tomatoes
Salt
Juice of half a lemon
1 Slice each pepper into six pieces lengthways. Fry the leeks and half the onion rings over a medium to high heat. When they are beginning to brown, add the sugar to caramelise. When brown, remove from thepan and set aside.
2 In the same pan, over a medium heat, fry the mustard and cumin seeds until they pop, then add the remaining onions and cook until translucent. Add the turmeric and chillies, cooking for 2 minutes.
3 Throw in the peppers and tomatoes with a dash of salt. Simmer for 10–15 minutes or until the peppers have yielded and are coated with sticky tomato. Add the lemon juice and serve.
Recipe supplied by Ivor Peters, urbanrajah.com
Spicy double-cooked pork with leeks
If you can't find chilli bean paste and yellow bean paste, use 2 tsp minced garlic instead.
Serves 2
300g pork belly, rind removed with some fat left on
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2cm piece ginger, peeled and sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 leek, finely sliced
2 tsp chilli bean paste (optional)
2 tsp yellow bean paste (optional)
½ tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
100ml chicken stock
1 Half fill a wok with water and bring to the boil. Drop in the pork belly and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until it has cooked through. Drain the pork and set aside on a plate to cool. Transfer the cooled pork to thefridge for 15 minutes, uncovered, to firmup the meat.
2 Remove the pork belly from the fridge and slice into thin strips. Add the oil to a hot wok and stir-fry the pork for 5 minutes, until slightly crisp. Add the ginger, garlic, onion andleek, then stir fry briefly to combine. Stir in the chilli bean and yellow bean pastes, if using, then add the soy, sugar and chicken stock and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.
Sweet Mandarin Cookbook by Helen and Lisa Tse (KyleBooks)
Cured salmon with pickled leeks
You'll need to prepare the salmon the day before for this recipe. The leeks can also be prepared in advance and left in the pickling liquid. These keep well in the fridge.
Serves 6
For the cured salmon
1 side of salmon, skin-on and pin-boned
200g fine salt
100g sugar
150ml orujo blanco or vodka
For the leeks
6 large leeks, topped and tailed
1 litre water
20g coarse salt
35ml white wine vinegar
For the dressing
1 tsp dijon mustard
50ml white wine vinegar
250ml olive oil
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
½ yellow bell pepper, finely diced
2 shallots, chopped
1 To cure the salmon, place the fillet skin‑side up in a large baking tray, then mix the salt with the sugar and spread over the fish. Add the orujo or vodka, cover, then leave in the fridge overnight. Rinse thoroughly, pat dry then slice thinly just before serving.
2 Cut the leeks into 6cm strips, boil in thewater, along with the salt and vinegar, for 25 minutes, then refresh in cold water. Return the leeks to the cooled cooking liquor and setaside until ready to serve.
3 To make the dressing, mix the mustard with the vinegar and then mix with the olive oil and the diced vegetables.
4 To serve the dish, divide the leeks between six plates, then lay slices of salmon on top andpour the dressing over the top.
Recipe supplied by Nacho del Campo, Camino,camino.com/uk
Creamed leeks with chestnut and thyme crumble
This rich and warming savoury crumble is agreat vegetarian main, or would go well withroast meats for Sunday lunch.
Serves 4
100g butter, at room temperature
150g flour
50g ground almonds
30g suet
1 egg yolk
50g cooked chestnuts, chopped
5 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Salt and black pepper
For the leeks
1kg leeks, trimmed
100g butter
Salt and pepper
200ml double cream
1 tsp nutmeg
1 To make the crumble topping, work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, then add the ground almonds and suet.
2 Fold in the egg yolk, then add the chestnuts and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
3 Remove the dark green outer leaves from the leeks and then roughly chop the rest. Add the butter to a large saucepan and gently cook the leeks with a pinch of salt and pepper until softened.
4 Add the cream and reduce until thick, which will finish cooking the leeks.
5 Place into a ceramic baking dish and allow tocool. When ready, top with the crumble andbake at 160C/325F/gas mark 3 for around 15-20 minutes until crunchy and coloured.
Recipe supplied by Lee Bennett, crafthouse-restaurant.com
Butter bean, leek and cauliflower salad
Unusually for a salad, this enjoys sitting, getting to know its dressing. It is inspired by my friend Ellen Hooberman – a master of the caper, garlic and chopped parsley.
Serves 4 to 6
2 handfuls of dried butter beans
2 heads of garlic
1 happy head of cauliflower, taken apart into challenging bite-sized florets
4 leeks, sliced across at 5mm intervals, then thoroughly rinsed
A bunch of curly parsley, finely chopped
A handful of extra-finecapers
For the dressing
300ml extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 juicy or 2 not-so juicy lemons
6 garlic cloves, peeled and well crushed
Salt and black pepper
1 Soak the butter beans overnight in cold water, then drain and cook in clean water with the heads of garlic (this can take 2-3 hours).
2 Whisk all the dressing ingredients together well, adding salt and pepper to taste.
3 Dress the cauliflower and butter beans liberally. Toss and then leave to sitovernight.
4 When it comes time to serve, just tease the leeks for a moment in some boiling salted water. The warmth of the leek, added to the cauliflower and butter beans, should awaken the slumbering salad. Once awake, it may need some more dressing – take a view. Add the chopped parsley and a substantial handful of capers. Toss vigorously, being careful not to crush the butter beans, then serve.
The Complete Nose to Tail by Fergus Henderson and Justin Piers Gellatly (Bloomsbury)
Poached leeks with dragoncello sauce
Dragoncello is a simple, delicious sauce to have about. Tarragon freezes well and everyone hasa couple of eggs to hand. It goes well here with theleeks, but is great on a lamb chop too.
Serves 4 as a starter
4 medium leeks, trimmed
1 garlic bulb
4 bay leaves
125ml white wine
25ml moscatel vinegar
For the dragoncello sauce
Small chunk of sourdough bread
20ml red wine vinegar
2 eggs, hard boiled
½ garlic clove
A bunch of tarragon, finely chopped
A squeeze of lemon juice
Olive oil
1 Put the leeks, garlic and bay in a snug dish, pour over the wine and vinegar then add enough water to cover. Season then cover with foil and cook at 160C/325F/gas mark 3 for30 minutes. Leave to cool in the liquor.
2 To make the sauce, soak the bread in the vinegar. Roughly grate the eggs on the large holes of the grater, then grate thegarlic on the fine side. Mix both with the tarragon and lemon. Pour the remaining vinegar that hasn't soaked into the bread into the bowl, then add enough olive oil to cover.
3 To serve, slice the leeks in half lengthways and divide between four plates. Pour a little ofthe liquor over the leeks, then finish each with a spoonful ofthe dragoncello.
Recipe supplied by Patrick Hanna, L'Entrepot, lentrepot.co.uk
Clams with leek, fennel and parsley
Though you could add a twirl of al dente spaghetti or linguine to this dish, it is the fragrant, briny broth that delights – better with a crusty loaf and a spoon.
Serves 2
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 large leek, trimmed and finely diced
Salt and pepper
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced
A pinch of red pepper flakes
1 kg small clams, scrubbed
A splash of white wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped spring onions
Lemon wedges
1 In a wide, deep pot, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened – about 5 minutes.
2 Season with salt and pepper, then add the fennel seeds, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add the clams, turn the heat to high, and stir well with a wooden spoon to coat.
3 Splash in the wine, put on the lid, and continue to cook until all theclams have opened – about 5 to 6 minutes.
4 Stir in the parsley and spring onions. Spoon theclams and broth into bowls. Serve with lemon wedges.
One Good Dish by David Tanis (Artisan Books)
Leek and potato risotto
There's no rice in this risotto, but the potato iscooked using the same technique. The amount of stock will vary depending on the potatoes you are using.
Serves 4
50g butter
1 kg banana shallots, finely diced
½ garlic clove, finely diced
2 leeks, diced and washed
2 large potatoes, peeled and ½cm diced
500ml vegetable stock
200ml double cream
100g creme fraiche
40g parmesan, grated
A squeeze of lemon juice
150g goat's cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
4 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil
1 On a medium heat, melt the butter and gently cook the shallots and garlic until soft. Add the leeks, then after 2-3 minutes add the potato followed by enough stock to just cover it. Cook slowly, adding more stock as the potatoes soak it up. When the potatoes are cooked, but still firm, add the cream and creme fraiche. As the potatoes start to breakdown, season, then add the parmesan andlemonjuice.
2 To serve, crumble the goat's cheese over the top, followed by the chives mixed in the rapeseed oil.
Recipe supplied by Eric Snaith, Titchwell Manor
Lemony leeks with chickpeas and feta
This cooking method is incredibly healthy, using broth to cook the vegetables instead of oil. It also infuses the leeks with an incredible amount of flavour, without any added fat.
Serves 2-3
3 large leeks
250ml vegetable stock
400g tin chickpeas, drained
75g feta, crumbled
For the dressing
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp runny honey
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
A pinch of salt and pepper
1 small bunch fresh dill
1 Slice off the root end of the each leek, then cut the stalk into 5cm chunks on the diagonal. Use both the white and pale green part, discarding the dark green tops.
2 In a large frying pan or saucepan, heat the stock until simmering, add the leeks, then cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine all the ingredients except for the zest and dill.
4 When leeks are just tender, remove from the pan and arrange on a serving platter, leaving the remaining broth. Add the chickpeas to the pan and heat for about 1minute, tossing to warm through. Add halfthe dill and toss.
5 Remove the pan from heat and serve the chickpeas on top of the leeks. Add the dressing, sprinkle with dill, lemon zest, and plenty of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Recipe supplied by Sarah Britton, mynewroots.org
