Leek-a-Paloooza

Spring has finally sprung in the Midwest. One of my favorite spring time vegetables is the leek. Although the vegetable is in season from September to March, the punch of fresh onion is perfect for waking up your taste buds this time of year. 

Growing up, my mother always called scallions leeks. While in the same family, I was unfamiliar with the much larger variety of leeks that could be used to cook delicious soups, sides, and much more. I hated anything to do with onions or scallions. Ordering pizza in my family was always a struggle. In her frustration, my mom once exclaimed, "I wish you would grow up and learn to like onions." Thankfully, I did grow up and learn to like onions. Like garlic, a savory dish is a miss without them.

The leek pops up many places throughout history. Some sources base its genus in ancient Egypt. Others in Ireland and the British Isles. One of the national emblems of Wales is the leek. The leek is tied to the history of St. David, the patron saint of Wales. Some stories reference his demands that the Welsh army don leeks on their helmets, to set them aside from other tribes, while others claim that a famous Welsh battle was fought on a leek field. St. David’s Day on March 1st is a great excuse to cook up some leeks. While I couldn’t find information on the exact birthplace, one might assume that its presence in both locations could be attributed to the patterns of the Roman Empire, or we can admit that varieties of leeks are found throughout the world. Chicago, for example, is named for “the land of smelly onions”. No matter the history, I’m glad these little alliums were given a second look.

On of my favorite leek recipes is a potato and leek soup that I featured last St. Patrick’s Day. I’m always looking for new ways to make my favorite foods. This year, I settled on a leek quiche and leek fritters. I probably would have incorporated more leek dishes, but I bought all of the leeks available at the grocery store. This week also marked my first foray into Mastering the Art of French Cooking. If you’re going to make a quiche, you go to the source. The Leek Fritters were featured by one of our favorite bloggers, The Smitten Kitchen.

Leek Quiche

I hosted a study group for a few of my graduate school friends for brunch and decided on quiche. In making my first quiche, who better to learn from the the incomparable Julia Child. Hosting a brunch after celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago the day before, and still having to grocery shop is quite a feat. I had to cut some corners. Luckily, the only corner I cut was with the crust. I had to opt for a pre-made crust, faux-pas as it may be. But I didn’t have time to cool the hand made crust in order to get it in the oven with enough time to bake. So others who try this recipe, its ok to make things a little more convenient for yourselves. First, the leeks are sautéed in butter and water until soft. Next, you combine 1 ½ cups of heavy whipping cream and three eggs. Yes, only three eggs. This recipe is not a diet friendly dish. But what French food is? Once the leeks are soft, combine the eggs/milk with the leeks and pour into a semi-baked crust. I had some serious egg spillage at this point and ended up baking the quiche on top of a baking sheet in order to keep my oven clean. Top the quiche with Swiss cheese and a dash of salt and pepper. You bake until golden brown and voila! This explanation may seem over simplified, but its not at all. The recipe is that easy.

The result is the creamiest quiche I have ever tasted in my life. I didn’t know that quiches were supposed to be creamy. The egg to cream ratio creates a custard-like filling. The leeks are tender and beautifully suspended in the eggy goodness. This recipe is now my go-to brunch staple. I highly recommend this recipe to knock your friends and family’s pants off. Julia also suggests the same recipe for an endive version.

Find the recipe here[1]:

Ingredients

• 1 pound (about 3.5 cups) sliced white of leek
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 eggs (room temperature)
• 1.5 cups whipping cream
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 8-inch partially cooked pastry shell on a baking sheet
• 1/4 cup Swiss cheese
• 1 tbsp butter cut into pea-sized dots

Directions

1. Set oven to 190C/ 375F.
2. Boil the leeks over moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed, covered saucepan with the water, salt and butter until liquid has almost evaporated.
3. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until leeks are very tender. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
4. Beat the eggs, cream and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Gradually stir in leeks. Check seasonings.
5. Pour into pastry shell. Spread on the cheese and the distribute butter over it.
6. Bake in upper third of preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until puffed and brown.

While I do not own a quiche dish, it still turned out beautiful.

Leek Fritters

The Smitten Kitchen is almost a guarantee that you can find a simple recipe that can be successfully executed as well as flexible enough to add your own spin to it. The leek fritters with garlic lemon cream sounded like the perfect punch in the mouth to wake up my palate from the winter blues. These fritters are so simple. My personal alterations would be to serve them as a breakfast or brunch dish with a fried or poached egg and hot sauce for an extra kick of flavor.

If you’re a fan of Deb Perlman’s recipes, check out this week’s “Call Your Girlfriend” podcast featuring an interview with the fabulous blogger.

St. Patrick's Day Breakfast. Last of the quiche, some leek fritters, and food color "enriched" sparkling water. Slainte!

[1] This recipe is taken directly from Mastering The Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1