26thFebruary 2013
Take a Leek this St David's Day
Say goodbye to winter and celebrate the start of spring on March 1st2013 with the velvety-smooth leek - the classic St David's day icon.
Wear it in your hat or helmet, share it, eat it raw like the Royal Welsh Fusiliers or cook it - food writer and home economist Jane Hornby has prepared six delicious, cost effective recipes for a St David's Day feast (available to download from www.britishleeks.co.uk) including:
Hearty leek and lamb cawl*
Squash, leek and lemon risotto with Caerphilly
Spiced leek, potato and lentil soup
Leek, chorizo and goats cheese tortilla
Bacon wrapped chicken with leeks, peas and basil
Pasta with leeks, chilli and prawns
And, don't forget the distinguished history of this often underrated vegetable. The leek has long been associated with the Welsh Saint David. In the Middle Ages when Saint David was alive, the leek was seen as healthy and virtuous with extraordinary healing qualities including purging the blood, keeping colds at bay and healing wounds.
Eaten by the Mesopotamians and Egyptians and was said to be the favourite vegetable of the emperor Nero - who claimed it improved his singing voice -
the leek also acquired mystic virtues. It was claimed girls who slept with a leek under their pillow on St David's Day would see their future husband in their dreams.
If you don't fancy putting a leek under your pillow this St David's Day, then there are plenty of other ways to enjoy this delicious British staple at the height of the season.
With its warming, mild, sweet, flavour and smooth texture, the British leek makes a welcome addition to stacks of recipes - especially when complementing other famous Welsh ingredients such as succulent lamb or creamy Caerphilly cheese.
Farmer Andy Blair who helped set up The Really Welsh Trading Company in Wales six years ago and now grows 160 acres of Welsh leeks across Wales says, "In recent years the humble leek has been forgotten as consumer have experiment with trendy new vegetables. But leeks are delicious, versatile and most importantly 100% Welsh and should definitely form the heart of any St David day meals. My favourite way of eating leeks is with a traditional Sunday lunch drizzled with gravy."
British Leeks, 2013 St David's Day Recipes by Jane Hornby
Squash, leek & lemon risotto with Caerphilly
Serves 4
Ready in 30 minutes
Costs £1.22 per serving
500g/1lb 2oz butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
handful fresh sage leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pine nuts
50g/2oz butter
3 medium British leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300g/11oz Arborio risotto rice
100ml/3½fl oz dry white wine
1 to 1.2 litres/1¾ to 2¼ pints hot chicken or vegetable stock
1 lemon, zested then cut into wedges
100g/4oz Caerphilly cheese, crumbled (or you can use Wensleydale, Cheshire or even grated cheddar)
1 Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the squash into a non-stick roasting tin, tear over half of the sage leaves then toss with 1 tbsp oil and some salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes until golden and tender. With 10 minutes to go, add the pine nuts to one end of the tin.
2 Melt 25g/1oz of the butter with the remaining oil in a large pan. Add the leeks and garlic plus some salt and pepper, then soften for 5 minutes.
3 Stir in the rice, cook for 1 minute, then splash in the wine and boil until it has almost all disappeared. Keep the pan over a medium heat and stir in 250ml/9fl oz of the stock. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the stock has been absorbed into the rice. Repeat three more times until the rice is creamy and tender. This normally takes about 20 minutes.
4 Take the pan from the heat. Stir in a few finely shredded sage leaves, the roasted squash, remaining butter, lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice and 50g/2oz cheese. Cover the pan then let the risotto relax for a few minutes. The rice should now be loose and creamy - if yours has thickened up, stir in a splash more stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper then scoop into bowls and scatter with the rest of the cheese and the pine nuts.
Tip
For a special finish, heat 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan, then add a few sage leaves. Fry till crisp, drain on kitchen paper, then scatter over the risotto to serve.
Leek, chorizo & goat's cheese tortilla
Serves 4
Ready in 20 minutes
Costs £1.01 per serving [or 92p per serving if we assume potatoes are leftover and therefore free! Up to you Carole.]
1 tbsp olive oil
80g/3oz chorizo sausage, use the cooking type if you can, sliced
3 medium leeks, trimmed and sliced
500g/1lb 2oz leftover (new or old) cooked potatoes, thickly sliced
a few sprigs fresh rosemary, needles roughly chopped
6 large eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
100g/4oz goat's cheese, or use mozzarella or another melting cheese
1 Heat the oil in a medium non-stick frying pan, then add the chorizo. Sizzle for 5 minutes until the chorizo is starting to crisp and has released its red oil. Scoop the sausage onto a plate. Now stir the leeks into the fat and juices and soften for 5 minutes.
2 Stir in the chorizo, potatoes and most of the rosemary, then lower the heat and pour in the eggs. Cook gently for about 8 minutes, gently shaking the pan now and again, until the tortilla is set almost all the way through. Heat the grill to high while you wait.
3 Slice the cheese into rounds, spread over the tortilla and season with black pepper and a little more rosemary. Grill for 2 minutes or until the egg is set and golden and the cheese is melty.
Spiced leek, potato & lentil soup
Serves 4
Ready in 25 minutes
Costs 90p per serving
1 tbsp cumin seeds
40g/1½oz butter
4 medium leeks, trimmed and sliced
thumb-size piece fresh root ginger, peeled then grated
handful fresh coriander, stalks finely chopped
1 fat red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 large (250g/9oz) Maris Piper or King Edward potato, peeled and thinly sliced
175g/6oz split red lentils
1 litre/1¾ pints chicken or vegetable stock
300ml/½ pint semi-skimmed milk
4 tbsp half fat crème fraiche or creamy yogurt, to serve
1 Put a large saucepan over a medium heat then add the cumin seeds. Cook for 2 minutes, or until toasty and fragrant. Set ½ tsp aside for later.
2 Add the butter to the pan, let it melt and sizzle around the cumin, then stir in the leeks, ginger, coriander stalks and most of the chilli. Cover and let the flavours sweat together for 5 minutes.
3 Stir in the potato and lentils, then the stock and milk. Bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
4 Blitz the soup in the saucepan using a stick blender, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, add a swirl of crème fraiche or yogurt, then scatter with the reserved chilli, toasted cumin and coriander leaves. Enjoy with warm naan bread.
Pasta with leeks, chilli & prawns
Serves 4
Ready in about 10 minutes
Costs £1.13 per serving
300g/11oz spaghetti or linguine
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium leeks, trimmed and sliced
200g/7oz large, raw peeled frozen prawns, thawed and patted dry with kitchen paper
175g/6oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lemon, zested
handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
1Boil the pasta in salted water for 8 minutes, or follow pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the leeks and some seasoning. Sizzle for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and turning golden here and there. Remove to a plate.
2Heat the remaining oil, turn up the heat and wait a few seconds for the pan to get really hot. Add the prawns and tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the prawns turn pink all the way through. Add the chilli flakes, garlic and lemon zest, cook for 1 minute more, then add the leeks back to the pan. Turn the heat down.
3Save a cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain. Tip the pasta into the leek mix, add 5 tbsp of the cooking water, the juice from half the lemon and the parsley and toss well. The pasta shouldn't be dry - add more of the water if needed. Season to taste, then serve in bowls with the rest of the lemon cut into wedges, for squeezing.
Hearty leek & lamb cawl
Serves 4
Ready in about 3 hours
Costs £1.21 per serving
450g/1lb stewing lamb such as shoulder, cubed (or use pork shoulder or braising beef)
2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
150ml/¼ pint brown ale
4 medium leeks, trimmed then cut into thumb lengths
1 stick celery, sliced
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks
400g/14oz swede or turnip, peeled and cut into big chunks
a few sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1 or 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried is fine
500ml/18fl oz lamb or beef stock
For the cawl topping
250g/9oz self-raising flour
80g/3oz cold butter, cut into cubes
125ml/4fl oz semi-skimmed milk
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
1 egg, beaten
1 Heat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas 3. Toss the lamb with the seasoned flour. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium casserole, then fry the meat for 10 minutes, until dark golden brown all over. Transfer to a bowl. Splash in the ale and bring to a boil, scraping up all of the tasty brown bits from the bottom. Tip this over the meat then wipe the pan with kitchen paper.
2 Heat 1 tbsp oil then gently fry the vegetables with the thyme and bay for 10-15 minutes until turning golden here and there. Return the lamb and juices to the pan, top up with the stock, then season. Cover the casserole with a lid, leaving just a small gap to one side, then cook in the oven for 21/2 hours.
3 With 40 minutes to go, make the topping. Add ½ tsp salt to the flour in a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Combine the milk, mustard, thyme and half of the egg, then tip into the bowl and bring to a soft dough. Knead a few times on a floured surface till just smooth, then pat the dough to about 3cm/1in thick and stamp into rounds. Squash together any trimmings and repeat. Don't overwork the dough as it will make it tough.
4 Uncover the meat, stir gently and taste the sauce for seasoning at this point. Place the cobbler pieces on top, brush them with the remaining egg, then return to the oven until the topping is golden and lamb tender. Let the cobbler settle for 10 minutes before serving with your favourite seasonal greens.
Bacon-wrapped chicken with leeks, peas & basil
Serves 4
Ready in 45 minutes
Costs £1.12 per serving
4 chicken leg quarters, skinned and cut into thighs and drumsticks
handful fresh basil
8 thin rashers smoked streaky bacon
1 tsp vegetable or sunflower oil
2 medium leeks, trimmed and sliced thickly at an angle
200ml/7fl oz chicken stock
200g/7oz frozen garden peas
1 Season the chicken with black pepper, put one basil leaf on top of each piece, then wrap tightly with a rasher of bacon. Tuck the bacon into itself to stop it unravelling.
2 Heat the oil in a large shallow casserole or frying pan. Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes on each side until the bacon is golden. Remove to a plate.
3 Add the leeks to the pan and soften in the bacon juices for 5 minutes. Return the chicken pieces, basil-side up, pour in the stock, then cover the pan and simmer for 25 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
4 Tear half of the basil into the sauce, stir in the peas, then simmer for a few more minutes until the peas are tender and bright. Check the seasoning then scatter the rest of the basil over the dish. Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
[Ends]
Notes to the editor
Perhaps the most traditional use of leeks is Welsh cawl, a stew-like dish consisting of meat and vegetables that has been enjoyed by the nation since the 14th century. Its ingredients tend to vary, but usually include lamb and leeks.
The full British Leeks press pack including much more St David's Day information can be downloaded at www.britishleeks.co.uk
For further press information contact:
Carole Pendle
Pendle PR
On behalf of the British Leek Growers Association
Tel: 07768462601
Email: carole@pendlepr.com