Leeks And Tarragon In Dijon Vinaigrette Food

LEEKS IN VINAIGRETTE WITH WALNUTS AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Transfer to a small bowl and toss with oil; season with salt.
• Trim root ends of leeks and 1" from the dark green tops. Cut leeks into 1/2"-thick rounds (the dark green parts won't be rounds, but that's okay). Rinse well.
• Cook leeks in a large pot of boiling salted water until meltingly tender, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat dry.
• Whisk garlic, vinegar, and Dijon and whole grain mustards in a small bowl; season vinaigrette with salt.
• Arrange leeks on a platter; drizzle with vinaigrette and let sit at least 10 minutes (the longer, the better).
• Just before serving, scatter walnut mixture over leeks and top with tarragon and lots of pepper.
• Do Ahead
• Leeks (without walnut mixture and tarragon) can be marinated 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

LEEKS WITH DIJON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Game Plan: Make the vinaigrette while the leeks cook.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then salt it generously. Trim the root end of the leeks, leaving enough to hold the leaves together, and halve lengthwise. Rinse very well under running water to flush out any grit trapped between the leaves. Add the leeks to the boiling water and cook until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the leeks to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pat dry and lay them on a serving platter.
• Meanwhile, whisk the vinegar, mustard, water, and the 3/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make a smooth, slightly thick dressing. Drizzle the vinaigrette evenly over leeks, turn them to coat, and scatter the parsley and the tarragon, if using, over the top. Serve immediately or up to 2 hours later at room temperature.

LEEKS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil and season liberally with salt.
• Trim the leeks at the root ends, keeping the leeks intact. Cut the leeks where the light green meets the darker green. Save the darker green section for stock. Split the leeks in half lengthwise, again leaving the roots intact. Put the leeks in a large bowl of water and let it sit for a minute. Rinse the dirt from the insides of the leeks by lightly separating the layers and allowing the water to wash the dirt out. Tie the leeks in 3 places with butcher's twine to hold shut.
• Add the leeks to the pot of water and let it come back to a simmer. Boil the leeks until they are very tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer them to paper towels and remove the twine. Separate each leek into 2 halves.
• In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, mustards, garlic, shallots and salt and pepper. Spread some of the vinaigrette on the bottom of an 8-inch square dish.
• While the leeks are still warm, remove the outer layer of each; lay the leeks cut-side down in the vinaigrette in the dish. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the leeks. Cover and chill the leeks in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
• Arrange the leeks on a platter and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with the hazelnuts, eggs and chives. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the leeks and serve.

GRILLED LEEKS WITH TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a bowl or jar, combine the vinegar, mustard and some salt and pepper. Whisk to combine, and then slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking. Set aside.
• Trim the roots off the leeks, leaving some of the root end intact so the leeks hold together. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse very well--they are usually pretty sandy and dirty.
• Add about 1 inch of water to a large pot over medium-high heat. Insert a steamer basket and set the leeks into the steamer. Cover and cook until softened and tender when the white end is pierced with a paring knife, about 5 minutes. Remove the leeks from the steamer, pat dry and transfer to a shallow dish. Brush with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat a grill pan or grill to medium-high heat. Add the leeks, cut-side down, and cook until grill marks form, about 3 minutes. Flip and repeat. Remove to a serving platter, drizzle over some of the vinaigrette and sprinkle with the hazelnuts.