It’s that time again when we hear ourselves ask, “How did the year fly by so fast?” Then, realising we haven’t seen nearly enough of our nearest and dearest, we make hasty plans to meet up before the Christmas deadline.
Well, I feel much the same about leeks. Looking back on my year in the kitchen, I note that I’ve spent hardly any time with this member of the onion family. As is the case with longstanding friends, it’s easy to take leeks for granted: they always seem happy to play the supporting role – providing the savoury, almost meaty background note to so many soups, stews and gratins – rather than hogging the centre stage.
It’s the prized white base of the leek that you really want to put under the spotlight. The stem and green leaves are tougher, and have more of a cabbagey flavour, so save those for making stock. The length of that white stem will vary hugely from leek to leek, and is more or less dependent on how much soil was piled up and around the growing plant. Unlike onions and garlic, leeks don’t have bulbs, so everything happens above ground; surrounding the plants with soil in this way shields them from the sun, compresses them into a cylinder and keeps them white. It’s also what makes the leaves get very full of grit, so always give your leeks a good rinse before use.
In time-honoured mid-December fashion, I’ve been trying to make up for my neglect by cramming in as much time with leeks as I can in the last week or so, and they’ve been as comforting and familiar as any friend we haven’t seen enough of.
Leek and chorizo pie
Sausage and mash with a difference. Serves six.
3 large baking potatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
150ml double cream
100ml whole milk
90g unsalted butter
50g parmesan, finely grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
150g pancetta, cut into 1cm cubes (or smoked bacon lardons)
130g cooking chorizo, cut into 1cm cubes
4 large leeks, trimmed, tough green leaves discarded (or saved for stock), white cut into 1cm-thick rounds
150ml medium-dry sherry
2 tbsp oregano leaves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1½ tsp smoked paprika
Heat the oven to 200C/390F/gas mark 6. Put the potatoes on a baking tray and roast for an hour, until cooked. Remove and, once cool enough to handle, peel off and tear the skin into 2-3cm pieces and set aside. Put the flesh in a medium pan with half the garlic, 60ml cream, the milk, 50g butter, the parmesan and half a teaspoon of salt. Heat a little, mash until smooth, and set aside.
On a medium-high flame, heat the oil in a large saute pan for which you have a lid. Add the pancetta and chorizo, and fry for seven minutes, stirring regularly, until nice and crisp. Stir through the leeks for a minute, then add the remaining garlic, the sherry, herbs, mustard and plenty of pepper.
Turn down the heat to medium, cover the pan and leave the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes, until the leeks are soft and there is hardly any liquid left in the pan.
Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining cream and spoon the lot into a high-sided ceramic or Pyrex baking dish measuring 20cm x 30cm. Spoon the potato on top and spread out evenly.
Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan and mix with the potato skins, paprika and a pinch of salt. Arrange the skins on top of the mash, spooning over any leftover butter, then bake for 13-14 minutes, until the skins are crisp and the pie is bubbling. Serve hot, perhaps with some green veg and/or a salad.
Pappardelle with oxtail, leek and lemon
Serves four to six.
1.1kg oxtail pieces, about 4-5cm wide
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
75ml olive oil
6 leeks, cut into 1cm rounds
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
150ml dry white wine
1 litre chicken stock
10g picked marjoram leaves, or oregano if not available
5g picked thyme leaves
3 bay leaves
Finely shaved skin of ½ lemon, plus half the lemon’s flesh, finely chopped
20g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
400g pappardelle
30g pecorino, shaved or finely grated
Heat the oven to 160C/320F/gas mark 2½. Season the oxtail with half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, and set aside for 10 minutes.
On a medium-high flame, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large cast-iron pan for which you have a lid. Add the oxtail pieces and cook for six minutes, turning regularly so they brown all over, then scoop out of the pan and into a bowl.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, then add half the leeks and fry for five minutes. Add the garlic, fry for another minute, then pour over the wine. Cook for a minute or two, until the liquid has reduced by half, then pour in the stock, half the marjoram, all the thyme, bay leaves, lemon skin, the oxtail pieces, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover the pan and roast in the oven for three hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce thick. Remove, set aside and, once cool enough to handle, strip the meat off the bones; discard most of the large fatty bits and the bay leaves (save the bones for stock, if you like), and return the meat to the pan.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat, then add the remaining leeks and fry for five minutes, until just starting to brown. Remove from the heat, stir through the lemon flesh, parsley, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, then set aside.
Bring a large saucepan filled with plenty of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente, drain and return to the pan.
Tip the leek and lemon mix into the pasta, add a tablespoon of oil and toss to coat. Divide the pasta between four plates or bowls, spoon the oxtail stew on top, sprinkle over the cheese and the rest of the marjoram, and serve at once.
Charred leeks with whipped cheese and walnuts
The leeks in this wonderfully light starter are hard to cut once they are cooked, so serve them with serrated or steak knives. Serves four.
3 leeks, trimmed
60ml olive oil
Salt
150g Philadelphia cream cheese
40g dolcelatte cheese
1 tbsp double cream
10g chives, finely chopped
5g basil leaves, shredded
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
20g walnuts, broken into 1cm pieces
Heat the grill to its highest setting. Cut the leeks in half lengthways without allowing them to break up, then cut each half into 5cm-long segments. Spread the leeks cut side up out on a 24cm x 32cm baking tray, so they fit in snugly, then drizzle over two tablespoons of oil and sprinkle with a quarter-teaspoon of salt. Grill for nine to 10 minutes, until cooked through and blackened on top, then set aside.
Put the cream cheese, dolcelatte and cream in a medium bowl, whisk until smooth and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the chives, basil, vinegar, two tablespoons of oil, an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of water.
When you’re ready to eat, spread the cream mix over four starter plates and top with the leeks, cut side up for appearance’s sake. Drizzle with the herb dressing, scatter over the walnuts and serve.
Roast leeks with thyme and vermouth
Again, these are hard to cut after they’ve been cooked, so serve with serrated or steak knives. Serves four as a side dish.
6 leeks, trimmed, tough green leaves discarded (or saved for stock), the white cut in half widthways, so you end up with 12 14cm-long pieces
40g unsalted butter, melted
90ml dry vermouth
Shaved skin of 1 lemon
2 tsp picked thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oven to 160C/320F/gas mark 2½. Arrange the leeks in a high-sided 20cm x 30cm baking tray lined with baking paper, in which they fit snugly in an even layer. Put all the remaining ingredients in a small bowl with half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, mix well, then pour over the leeks. Cover the tray tightly with foil and bake for an hour and a half, turning halfway, until soft and caramelised. Remove from the oven and serve hot.
