Once leek season starts, it seems to go on for a long, long time. Luckily leeks last well in the fridge so there’s no great urgency to use them up. Nevertheless, it’s definitely good to have a few different recipes up your sleeve.
One of my favourites is a Leek Gratin, which is a perfect vegetarian main with its crunchy parmesan topping and creamy leek filling. Another favourite is, of course, leek and potato soup. This time honoured soup, delicious both hot or cold, just never gets old.
But when the leeks are young and slender I can’t bring myself to blitz them into a soup. They call for a more delicate treatment. That’s when these Turkish style Sweet and Sour Leeks come in – whole leeks gently poached in a sweet lemony sauce. This method preserves the integrity of the tender leeks whilst infusing a beautiful flavour.
Thicker, more mature leeks work just fine cooked in this way too. Serve as part of a mezze, as a side dish with grilled meat or fish, or as I have in the photo below, with some pan fried salmon.
Turkish Style Sweet and Sour Leeks
Ingredients
Serves 4 (photos show half the quantity)
- 8 tbs olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 600g leeks washed and trimmed
- 3 rounded tsp sugar (white gives a better colour)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 300 ml water
- Dill – preferably fresh but dried will work
- Chopped parsley
- Salt and black pepper
Method
Wash the leeks thoroughly. Soak in water with a little salt which will help remove the mud and grit. If your leeks are young and seem to be clean then leave them whole. Otherwise cut them into thirds and check the green parts for dirt.
Place the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and gently cook the garlic until slightly coloured. Do not burn!
Add the leeks, lemon juice, sugar and water and a big pinch of salt. Simmer gently, partially covered for around 15-20 minutes, until the leeks are soft and tender. If the liquid is a bit watery, increase the heat for a few minutes to reduce it to the perfect consistency.
Add the dill and parsley if using and pour some of the sauce on top. Serve at room temperature.
