Leek year

Leek year

Claire Macdonald

Leeks are an invaluable vegetable. They belong to the onion family, yet sliced or chopped, take far less time to soften than onions. They form the basis for one of my favourite soups, leek and potato, which can be altered, in summer, to form one of the most elegant of soups, vichyssoise.

Leeks are an almost essential accompaniment to any lamb dish, as the flavours of leeks and lamb are so mutually enhancing. And leeks make an elegant salad or first course when steamed till tender, then adorned with a herb and lemon dressing while hot. As they cool, the leeks absorb the dressing's flavours. And this dish has the benefits of tasting delicious yet being low in calories. Leeks combine with all cheeses, but particularly goats cheese and blue cheese.

It is best not to cook leeks in water. They are difficult to drain as the liquid tends to get trapped between their layers. I steam them, as for the leeks in vinaigrette, or when cooking them to serve coated in a thin bay-flavoured white sauce as a vegetable. Or I stir-fry them, thinly sliced, for other dishes.

When preparing leeks, cut off the tough, dark green top to as near the white as possible; it can be used to make stock. And the other end of each leek needs to be sliced off, but again, can be added to the stock pot.