Leeks with Mustard-Bacon Vinaigrette

A few weeks ago, we made the potato leek chowder from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz, and I was blown away by its deep flavor. From that I discover putting loads of alliums in one dish: onions, shallots and leeks, really works. What stands out is the gentle sweetness of the vegetables, delivering the dazzling high note in the chowder that you want to go back for more. Similarly, I could just imagine how wonderfully delicious leeks with mustard-bacon vinaigrette will be.

Actually, I don’t need to imagine. The revelation came a few years ago when I tasted a simple tapa of young spring onions in Barcelona. Never have I tasted onions so sweet, so tender and so unbelievable.

I load and steam a few leeks in the convection steam oven for about 12 minutes. Then pour the mustard-bacon vinaigrette over the leeks together with dices of hard-boiled eggs. Pile on more crispy bacon pieces. That’s it. The dish can’t be more streamlined and honest.

I use six large leeks. I mean — large; the cross section of each leek is wider than an inch. Eating that is a bit challenging. Meanwhile, the outer leaves are tougher than the inner parts. For full enjoyment, I’d recommend separating the outer from the inner leaves and serve just the tenderest part of the leeks.

To see other comments about this dish from our friends at Cook-the-book-Fridays, check here.