Leeks Vinaigrette With Hard Cooked Egg Food

CLASSIC LEEKS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Trim leeks, removing tough outer layers and cutting off root ends. Leave a little green at the top. Make a lengthwise slit part way down each leek. Put leeks in a large basin of warm tap water and swish vigorously to dislodge any sand or dirt. Remove carefully, leaving grit in basin.
• Fill a medium sauce pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and put in leeks. Cook at a brisk simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until leeks are quite tender when pierced with a paring knife. Drain and cool to room temperature.
• Make vinaigrette: put mustard and vinegar in a bowl and stir to dissolve. Whisk in olive oil to make a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Blot leeks and divide among 4 plates. Spoon vinaigrette over leeks, smearing with back of spoon. Sprinkle with capers. Garnish each plate with cornichons, olives and half an egg.

LEEKS VINAIGRETTE WITH SIEVED EGG

Steps:

• Slice off the tangled root end and the thick, woody dark green top of each leek at the approximate same length. Wash the leeks vigorously under slow-running cold water, using your hands and fingers to scrape away insistent dirt and sand. Arrange them on a cutting board, and in one confident move, stab the tip of a sharp chef's knife into the leek 1/2 inch from the root end, and run it the rest of the length to the green top, in essence cleaving the leek starting from the white pale root, making two legs and a crotch, where only one thick column was to start. Back at the sink, wash again and again, keeping the leeks intact, but removing every single last grain of sand.
• Place the leeks in a shallow heatproof dish large enough to hold all of them snugly in a single layer. Barely cover leeks with water, leaving them, as we often say, bobbing in the water like crocodiles submerged at the river's edge. Season with salt, and scatter with the black peppercorns. Cover with parchment, being sure that the parchment is tucked in around all the edges of your casserole dish. Add a few spoonfuls of water evenly on top of the parchment - allowing the weight of the water to help hold down the parchment, which will start to dome from heat and condensation once the cooking starts. Bring the water to a gentle simmer, and hold it there until the leeks are tender without being mushy, with no raw, crunchy quality at all. The color will be drab on the exterior and still attractive halcyon at the centers. This may take 10 minutes, or even 20; you have to watch them.
• Remove the leeks from the water with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a clean rack, draining all of their cooking water. Once they have cooled completely, remove the outermost papery, inedible layers of the leek to reveal the tender interiors. Also pick out any black peppercorns that may be clinging inside the layers. Cut into quarters on a bias, and arrange attractively on a serving platter.
• For the vinaigrette, place the grated garlic, mustard and red wine vinegar in bowl. Add in a pinch of kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To assemble, dress the leeks generously with the vinaigrette. Push the egg whites through a fine-mesh sieve, followed by the yolks, over the leeks - exploiting the color contrast. Scatter with chopped parsley. And finish with a solid few grinds of black pepper. Serve at room temperature.

LEEKS VINAIGRETTE WITH HARD-COOKED EGG

Steps:

• Set a steamer basket in a saucepan with 2 inches simmering water. Halve leeks lengthwise and rinse thoroughly. Add to basket, cover, and steam until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer leeks to a serving platter.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar; cook 1 minute. Stir in mustard and season with salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Spoon vinaigrette over leeks. Using the small holes of a box grater, grate egg over leeks. Serve warm or at room temperature.

LEEKS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Trim dark-green tops from leeks, leaving root end intact. Remove tough outer layer. Starting 1" above root end, halve leeks lengthwise. Wash leeks, making sure to clean all sand from between layers. Dry slightly on paper towels.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter in a large, deep ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, turning occasionally, until light golden in spots, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, 3-4 minutes. Add 1 cup water, chicken stock, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake until leeks are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk 1 tablespoon parsley, Dijon mustard, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small bowl. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer leeks to a platter, drizzle with vinaigrette, top with eggs, and garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

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.

LEEKS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Put the leeks in a steamer over about 1 inch of boiling water; steam until tender, 10 minutes or more. Transfer the leeks to a platter.
• While the leeks are steaming, make a vinaigrette: Whisk together the oil, vinegar,mustard, and shallot. Add a pinch of salt and a few turns of the pepper mill, then taste and add more vinegar, salt, or oil as necessary.
• Dress the leeks with the vinaigrette, scatter with the egg, and serve, lukewarm or at room temperature.