This classic french dish is one of my favorites to prepare at home. Leeks are poached until meltingly tender, garnished with hard-boiled eggs, and then marinated in a mustardy, bright vinaigrette. This dish works very well as an appetizer or side dish and I love it as an accompaniment to steak-frites or a simple roasted chicken. The secret is to make sure you cook the leeks until they are super soft, sweet and tender. If the leeks are undercooked they can have a harsh onion flavor and the texture won’t have the same luxurious quality. Making this dish is very simple. there are only 3 things you need to do: 1. Wash & cook the leeks, 2. Boil & chop the eggs, and 3. Make the vinaigrette.
Leeks Vinaigrette
by Ian Benites
Tender, sweet, chilled leeks, garnished with hard-boiled egg and marinated in a mustardy dressing.
This classic french dish is one of my favorites to prepare at home. Leeks are poached until meltingly tender, garnished with hard-boiled eggs, and then marinated in a mustardy, bright vinaigrette. This dish works very well as an appetizer or side dish and I love it as an accompaniment to steak-frites or a simple roasted chicken. The secret is to make sure you cook the leeks until they are super soft, sweet and tender. If the leeks are undercooked they can have a harsh onion flavor and the texture won’t have the same luxurious quality. Making this dish is very simple. there are only 3 things you need to do: 1. Wash & cook the leeks, 2. Boil & chop the eggs, and 3. Make the vinaigrette.
French • Appetizers, Salads & Sides • Gluten-Free · Soy-Free · Nut-Free · Dairy-Free · Sesame-Free · Vegetarian
Colors:
Tastes:
🍋🧂🍬🍵🌶️
Techniques:
🌿🥒💧
Rating:
Original Source: Ian Benites: Cooking at Home
Serves: 2
Time: Active 30m · Inactive 30m · Total 1h
Tender, sweet, chilled leeks, garnished with hard-boiled egg and marinated in a mustardy dressing.
Ingredients
1½ Tbsp Shallots, minced
1½ tsp Honey
1 tsp Mustard (Dijon Mustard) (smooth)
1 Tbsp Mustard (Dijon Mustard) (grainy)
Salt (Kosher Salt), to taste (use less if using table salt) (~¾ tsp)
½ tsp Thyme, leaves
Black Peppercorn, cracked, to taste
2 Large Eggs (hard-boiled, cold or room temp)
Salt (Flake Salt), to taste (optional)
Instructions
Rinse the leeks well and remove any outer layers if they are damaged. Slice leeks into 1/2 inch rounds.
• As you are slicing the leeks, you may notice some sand in between the layers, particularly closer to the light green parts. If you see any bits of soil or sand, do your best to rinse it away while keeping the leek rounds intact.
Place the leek rounds in one layer at the bottom of a sauté pan that has a lid. Make sure they are flat against the bottom of the pan. Add the 2/3 cup sherry/wine, 2 cloves crushed garlic, and thyme sprigs to the pan. Add enough water to barely cover the leeks without letting them float around too much.
Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Once the liquid comes to a simmer, add a pinch of salt to the cooking liquid and allow it to dissolve. Taste the cooking liquid and adjust the seasoning of the cooking liquid until it is pleasantly seasoned, not salty. Cover with a lid, turn the heat down to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
After 15-20 minutes, taste one of the leek rounds. It should be very tender. If not, keep cooking. When the leeks are tender, carefully remove them from the poaching liquid using a spatula. Put them on a plate and place in the refrigerator until completely cool.
Whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients except the olive oil. After everything is combined, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking in order to emulsify the vinaigrette. Check seasoning by tasting the vinaigrette with a little bit of leek, adjust if necessary. Set vinaigrette aside.
Chop the hard-boiled eggs into roughly 1/4 inch pieces. Season them with a pinch of salt and some fresh black pepper.
Transfer chilled leeks to a serving plate and sprinkle with a pinch of the finishing salt. Top with chopped egg and parsley and/or tarragon leaves, if desired. Spoon the vinaigrette over everything so that it soaks into every piece of leek. Allow everything to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow the vinaigrette to infuse into the leeks.
Serving & Keeping
Serve: Room Temp
Make ahead: This dish can be prepared well ahead of time and will even taste great the next day.
Serve with: Brandade de Morue, Steak Frites, Simple Roasted Chicken, or Beef Tartare
Serving & Keeping
Serve: Room Temp
Make ahead: This dish can be prepared well ahead of time and will even taste great the next day.
Serve with: Brandade de Morue, Steak Frites, Simple Roasted Chicken, or Beef Tartare
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