Not your mum’s leeks
If your Mum, like many Mums, committed culinary crimes against leeks, you might be scarred for life. We’re talking boiled, suffocated in white sauce and… oh, shudder. We just can’t with the leek memories. Happily there are entire cuisines who cook this skinny green veg with a great deal more sensitivity than our forebears might have and thank the deities for that. Melted into risotto… baked into a quiche… pureed into rich, creamy soup with potato…sautéed in lashings of butter… braised, then dressed with a sparky, herby vinaigrette… clearly, there are so many good ways to use the mighty leek and it’s a pity it’s often just relegated to the stock pot. Properly handled, leeks are incredibly tender and sweet, and have a deliciously mild, allium flavour. They also take well to roasting, when the skins lightly char (you can peel the char off if you like; leeks are, after all, thoughtfully organised into layers), and the insides steam in their own juices to the point of collapse. Delicious. Once roasted, you can go off and use your leeks in a variety of ways – chucked into a creamy-lemony pasta dish for example, or baked into a cheesy gratin.
Here, we’ve opted for a salad-y approach, teaming the leek with romesco. A rusty-red sauce that originated in Catalonia to go with fish, it does wonders for veggies too. If you use a jar of roasted red peppers it’s quick to make. Or you can char your own – best done over a naked gas flame or on a hot BBQ grill for a lovely smoky edge, but it can also be achieved in a hot oven. Once charred and cooled, you just peel them and get rid of the seeds. Throw everything into a food processor, let it rip, and your romesco is done. So go on, give leeks a red hot go and make them the hero of the plate.
SERVES 4
4 leeks, trimmed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to serve
Green olives, chopped roasted almonds and coriander sprigs, to serve
Romesco
250g cherry tomatoes
80ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
100g blanched almonds
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp smoked paprika
3-4 tsp sherry vinegar
large pinch dried chilli flakes, or to taste
For the romesco sauce, preheat the oven to 200˚C. Place the tomatoes in a small roasting dish, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil then roast for about 15 minutes or until the skins have burst. Meanwhile, place the almonds on an oven tray and roast for 7-8 minutes until light golden. Cool the tomatoes and the almonds. Combine the tomatoes, almonds, garlic, paprika, 3 tsp of the sherry vinegar and the remaining olive oil in a food processor then blitz until a smooth paste forms. Season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and dried chilli flakes, adding a little extra vinegar if necessary.
Heat the oven to 190˚C. Trim the leeks, leaving the root end intact and removing most of the green part. Rinse the top part of the leeks to remove any hidden dirt, then cut each leek into quarters widthways. Place in a roasting dish in a single layer, then drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil. Roast for about 40 mins turning every now and then, until golden and very tender. Cool. Arrange on a plate or platter, drizzle over some romesco, then scatter with olives, chopped almonds and coriander springs. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then serve.
