Seasonal local food recipe No 85: Sautéed leeks
A recipe from Skye Gyngell’s How I Cook. It specifies small leeks but works just as well with larger ones although they’ll need to be cut up a bit smaller than she suggests! It can be prepared ahead and reheated just before serving.
Serves 6
Preparation and cooking: around 40 minutes
Ingredients
12 small leeks
50g unsalted butter
bunch of thyme
60g freshly grated parmesan
salt and pepper
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Method
First trim off the top of the leeks, leaving only a small amount of green, and trim the root end. Now slice the root lengthways into quarters, cutting almost but not quite through to the base. Rinse well under cold running water,shaking to loosen any dirt.
Lay the leeks in a medium, shallow pan and pour in just enough water to cover.Bring to the boil over a high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the water has reduced by a third. Add the butter and thyme and continue to cook until almost all the water has evaporated, leaving glossy, sweet, soft leeks. Discard the thyme.
Scatter over the parmesan and season generously with pepper, adding a little salt only if needed. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.
