Leek Vegetable Fritters With Lemon Cream Recipes

LEEK-VEGETABLE FRITTERS WITH LEMON CREAM

Steps:

• Fill sink with cold water. Halve leeks lengthwise, then swish gently in water, fanning out layers to loosen any grit. Slice crosswise into 1/4-inch strips. (If using cooked vegetables, slice into 1/4-inch strips and add to bowl in Step 3.)
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook leeks 3 to 4 minutes, until softened but not limp. Drain and wring dry in a towel.
• Transfer leeks to a large bowl and add scallions. In another bowl, whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon salt, baking powder, a few grinds of black pepper and cayenne. Add to leeks and stir. Add egg and stir.
• Heat oven to 200 degrees. In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Drop heaping tablespoons of leek mixture into skillet and lightly flatten with the back of a spatula. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes; if cooking too quickly, lower the heat. Flip fritters and cook until golden on the other side, another 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and transfer to oven.
• Repeat with remaining leek mixture, adding oil and adjusting heat as needed.
• When fritters are cooked, make cream: whisk all ingredients together and season to taste with salt. Serve warm fritters in stacks, with a dollop of cream on top.

LEEK AND CARDAMOM FRITTERS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200. Put 1/3 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, add the leeks and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, cardamom and cinnamon and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl and add the chili, parsley, cilantro, manouri and salt. Allow to cool, then stir gently.
• Beat the egg white until soft peaks form, and fold it into the onions. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, whole egg, milk and butter to form a smooth batter. Gently fold it into the onion mixture.
• Put 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, ladle four spoonfuls (about half of the batter) into the pan to make four large fritters. Fry them until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels, then transfer to a platter in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more of the oil as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.

CONFIT LEEKS WITH LENTILS, LEMON AND CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius/350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If necessary, soak and carefully rinse the leek rounds in a large bowl of water to get rid of any excess grit. Drain, then cautiously pat dry, keeping the rounds intact.
• Add the leeks, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper to a 12-by-8-inch/30-by-20-centimeter baking dish. Mix gently to combine, then pour the oil on top. Arrange the leeks cut-side up, then cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
• Remove the baking dish from the oven and gently turn the leeks using two forks. Cover again with foil and return to the oven to bake until completely softened, about 35 minutes more. Turn the oven temperature up to 200 degrees Celsius/400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• As the leeks bake, fill a medium saucepan about two-thirds of the way with water and bring to a boil over high. Add the lentils and cook until just tender but not at all mushy, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
• When ready, remove the confit leeks from the oven and transfer a heaping 1/2 cup/100 grams of the cooked leeks plus 5 of the garlic cloves to a bowl for the leek cream. Add the cooked lentils to the remaining leeks in the baking dish along with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper; mix gently to combine. Cover again with the foil and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and leave to settle for 10 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.
• While the lentils bake with the leeks, make the cream: Add reserved leeks and garlic to a food processor along with the heavy cream, mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon of salt; blitz until smooth.
• When ready, stir the remaining 4 tablespoons lemon juice and the chopped herbs into the lentil and leek mixture. Transfer to a rimmed platter and serve with the leek cream in a bowl alongside.