Blackened Leeks With Asparagus And Boiled Eggs Recipes

ASPARAGUS WITH LEEKS AND PANCETTA WITH EGGS EN COCOTTE

Steps:

• Holding an asparagus spear in both hands, bend the spear until it breaks naturally at the point where the spear becomes tough. Discard the tough end and repeat with the remaining asparagus. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch lengths.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• While the water heats, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook the pancetta until the pancetta is almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the leek and saute until softened but not colored.
• Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and add to the skillet. Season mixture with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.
• Serve as a first course or as an entree with Eggs en Cocotte.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Rub the inside of 6 ramekins with the butter and then season with the thyme, distributing both equally amongst the ramekins. Add 2 eggs to each, season with salt and pepper. Place the ramekins in a baking dish, and pour water into the baking dish until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully place the baking dish in the pre-heated oven. Bake eggs for 15 minutes, or until set and golden on top. Eat and enjoy!
• Yield: 6 servings

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH CRISPY LEEKS AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put asparagus on a rimmed sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well coated.
• In a small bowl, stir together leeks, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Sprinkle leeks on top of asparagus, then sprinkle with capers. Roast until asparagus are tender and golden brown, about 12 to 18 minutes.
• While the asparagus stalks roast, make the mustard sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, capers and garlic. Slowly whisk in olive oil a few drops at a time to create a thick, emulsified dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Once asparagus stalks are out of the oven, squeeze a lemon wedge over it and sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with mustard sauce and more lemon wedges on the side.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Place asparagus and leeks on an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over vegetables. , Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

BLACKENED LEEKS WITH ASPARAGUS AND BOILED EGGS

Steps:

• Gently lower eggs into a medium pot of boiling water; cook 6 minutes. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water and let cool.
• Heat a dry large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until smoking hot. Cook leeks, cut side down, pressing to ensure contact with skillet, until blackened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add butter and rotate skillet to evenly coat leeks. Transfer leeks to a platter with a slotted spoon.
• Add asparagus to skillet, season with kosher salt and pepper, and cook, tossing occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and mustard, and toss asparagus to coat. Transfer to platter with leeks and spoon sauce over.
• Peel eggs, halve, and place on top of vegetables. Top with sea salt.

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.

BUTTER-POACHED ASPARAGUS, LEEKS & PEAS

Steps:

• Bring 100ml water to a simmer in a saucepan, add a pinch of salt and whisk in the butter. Drop in the leeks, cook for 2 mins,then add the asparagus and peas, and cook for 2 mins more. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and mint.
• To serve, remove the veg from the emulsion with a slotted spoon, then spoon over some of the buttery poaching juices.