Style of Wight Issue 63_March April 2020

Food | STYLE

Seasonal vegetable

BABY LEEK

Pay homage to St David with delicious baby leek, packed full of vitamins and fibre for a tasty spring feast

Baby leeks are sweet, tender and a joy of late winter and early spring. Time consuming in their harvest, they are deserving of their higher value. Baby leeks are either planted in late summer so as not to reach maturity or are the smaller siblings left behind in the main crop bed - either way, they are equally delicious. Cooked whole in stock, grilled or thrown into a stir fry, these guys are incredibly versatile. The green tops are as tender as the bright white shanks so cook whole when possible. Look for baby leeks between the width of your thumb and little finger, if slightly larger cut length ways.

By Will Steward LIVING LARDER

BABY LEEK TART

Ingredients

375g all butter puff pastry - or make your own rough puff

250g baby leeks - keep the leeks whole, but slice off the very top green part and chop small

3 large eggs

2 tbsp crème fraîche

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

75g gruyère, grated

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/ gas 5. Roll out the pastry to fit a 20cm x 20cm tart tin, with some pastry overhanging. Prick the base and chill for 20 minutes. Half-fill a pan with water, bring to the boil and cook the leeks for 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Beat the eggs with the crème fraîche, mustard and gruyère, then stir in the chopped green leek tops. Season well. Line the pastry case with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Remove the baking beans and paper and bake for 2 minutes more., at this point you might need to pat down the pastry. Arrange the leeks in the baked pastry case and pour over the egg mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, until the filling has set and the top is golden. Stand for 10 minutes before serving. Also delicious served cold.

March and April 2020