Mouth-watering leek salad is ooh la la
Make like a French bistro with this classy combination, writes Cathy Barrow.
French bistro salads are legendary, and for good reason. They celebrate the ingredients, are dressed well in advance, and are served at room temperature. In a favourite Parisian cafe, I might find finely shredded carrots tossed with olive oil and parsley, called carottes rapees, or a similarly simple pea salad with fresh mint. Lightly steamed asparagus. Chickpeas. Braised endive. Yet of all these offerings, leeks in a bright vinaigrette win me over every time – gentle and sweet, without a soupcon of harshness.
And, as with so many things French, a mere handful of ingredients make a dazzling addition to any meal. In the accompanying recipe, early-season leeks are steamed and sauced with a bright, mustardy vinaigrette, then paired with wobbly-yolked eggs. Just luscious and easy.
I choose strong stalks that have plenty of white at the root end, all of equal thickness so they will cook in the same amount of time.
Slice off the tough top leaves, cutting just at the point where dark emerald turns to pale peridot. Those tough leaves store plenty of flavour, so I stash them, cleaned, in a bag in the freezer where I keep other ingredients for stock (onion skins, carrot peelings, celery ends, and mushroom stems).
Leeks are famous for harbouring gritty sand and soil between their oniony layers, so I take the extra step of rinsing the sliced leeks in a deep bowl of ice-cold water, waiting for the grit to settle at the bottom of the bowl, then scooping the leeks from the surface.
8 servings Make ahead:
The leeks may be steamed, thoroughly cooled, wrapped and refrigerated up to a day in advance. The eggs may be cooked and refrigerated up to two days in advance. The vinaigrette may be refrigerated for up to one week. Compose the salad up to one hour in advance.
8 medium-size young leeks of equal size
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4
Fill a large bowl or container with cool water and ice cubes.
Discard the leeks’ tough, dark green tops and stringy root ends. Cut each leek lengthwise in half.
Place the halved leeks in the ice-water bath. Let them sit for 15 minutes or so, then carefully lift them out without disturbing any dislodged grit.
Place a steamer basket in a large pot. Fill until the water is hovering just below the steamer.
Bring the water to a boil over high heat and add the leeks. Cover and steam for 12- to 15 minutes, until forktender.
They will retain their bright colour and will not be entirely wilted. Be careful not to overcook them. Transfer the leeks to a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
Fill a bowl with fresh cool water and ice cubes. Boil a saucepan of water that’s deep and wide enough to hold the eggs in a single layer.
Use a slotted spoon to lower the eggs into the water, cover, and set a timer for six minutes. When the time is up, drain the eggs and transfer them to the ice-water bath.
Peel them in the ice-water bath as soon as you can (for easy peeling).
Combine the shallot, vinegar and salt in a small lidded jar.
Let this mixture sit for about five minutes (this will reduce the sharpness of the shallot), then add the oil, mustard and pepper.
Seal and shake vigorously to form an emulsified vinaigrette.
To serve, arrange the leeks on a platter. Cut the eggs lengthwise in half. Their yolks should be slightly runny. Place the halved eggs around the leeks.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the leeks and eggs just before serving.
Cathy Barrow is a Washington cookbook author.