Starter Contemporary, Middle Eastern-inspired
Roasted leek with orange, crème fraîche, hazelnuts and sumac
Vegetarian
Editorially prepared
Tender, sweet leek roasted in orange cream, served with cool crème fraîche and a crunchy hazelnut, herb and sumac salsa. Four small tasting portions, served at room temperature.
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Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
These quantities make four tasting portions, not four full-sized starters. When scaling up, use a larger dish so the leek still fits snugly in one layer. Keep the pieces the same thickness and judge tenderness rather than multiplying the roasting time.
Substitutions
Substitute amounts are adjusted to your selected servings.
- Instead of crème fraîche, around 30% fatthick soured cream, 18% fat
Can replace the crème fraîche, but tastes tangier and less rich. It separates more readily during roasting; choose crème fraîche for the smoothest sauce. Do not use liquid double cream as though it were the same ingredient.
- Instead of Aleppo chilli flakesregular chilli flakes
These are usually hotter and less fruity. Start with a smaller pinch and adjust the salsa after tasting.
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Optional ingredients and substitutions
You’ll need
Oven · Small ovenproof dish, approximately 12 × 10 cm, or a similar size that holds the leek snugly in one layer · Foil or a tight-fitting lid for the dish · Two small bowls · Chopping board and sharp knife · Fine grater · Kitchen scales, measuring spoons and a small measuring vessel · Wide spatula and spoon · Small serving platter
Method
0/7 stepsPrepare the leek and flavourings
Heat the oven to 220°C conventional. Clean the leek and cut it into rounds about 3 cm thick. Rinse any grit from between the layers, gently opening them without taking the rounds apart. Drain and pat dry. Wash and dry the orange and herbs. Grate the zest, squeeze the juice and chop the tarragon leaves and parsley. Measure the ingredients; reserve half the zest and half the chopped tarragon leaves for the salsa.
Prepare the leek and flavourings Arrange the leek on the cream
Mix the crème fraîche with the orange juice, half the orange zest, the vinegar allocated to the cream and a little salt. Spread half the cream over the base of the small dish and add the whole tarragon sprig. Stir half the chopped tarragon leaves into the remaining cream, cover and refrigerate. Lightly salt the leek, arrange it snugly in one layer with the cut sides facing upwards and cover the dish tightly. Place in the preheated oven.
Arrange the leek on the cream Roast until tender
Roast covered for 35–45 minutes from placing the dish in the oven. Meanwhile, prepare the salsa in the next step. Before uncovering for browning, test the centre of the thickest piece: a thin knife should slide in easily while the round still holds its shape. If the leek offers noticeable resistance, cover again and continue roasting, checking every 5–10 minutes.
45:00Roast until tender Mix the salsa
While the leek roasts, roughly chop the hazelnuts. Mix with the olive oil, sumac, vinegar allocated to the salsa, Aleppo chilli, parsley and the reserved halves of the orange zest and tarragon leaves. Add a little salt and taste. The salsa should be tangy, herby and gently spicy, with distinct pieces of hazelnut. Cover and refrigerate until serving; the leek remains in the oven.
Mix the salsa Brown the tops
Once the leek is tender, take the dish out, remove the cover and spoon the sauce from the base over the rounds. Return to the oven and roast uncovered for 20–30 minutes from returning the dish, until the tops are golden brown with a few darker patches. If the sauce is drying out, add a splash of water around the edge of the dish. If the leek is still pale, roast for a few more minutes; if it darkens quickly, take it out sooner.
30:00Brown the tops Cool on the platter
Remove the leek from the oven and discard the whole tarragon sprig. Use a wide spatula to transfer the rounds to a small platter and add the roasting sauce. Leave for about 30 minutes from transferring, until the leek stops steaming and is close to room temperature. If the centre is still noticeably warm, allow a few more minutes. Do not add the cold cream or salsa yet.
30:00Cool on the platter Finish with cream and salsa
Check that the leek has reached room temperature. Take the reserved tarragon cream and salsa out of the fridge. Spoon the cream over the leek, stir the salsa and spoon it over the top with its oil. Serve immediately as four small tasting portions, dividing the leek and toppings as evenly as possible.
Finish with cream and salsa
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Tips
- Choose a leek with a fairly thick white section. The rounds will hold together more easily if you move them with a wide spatula.
- A small dish matters: in an oversized dish, the cream spreads too thinly and may scorch before the leek softens.
- A little fat separating from the baked cream is fine. Do not stir the sauce through the leek; spoon it over the cooked pieces.
- If roasting several hours before a party, chill the leek as described in the storage instructions. Allow for the time in the fridge and about 30 minutes to lose its chill before serving. Add the cream and salsa just before taking it to the table.
Storage
If roasting earlier on the day of serving, transfer the cooked leek and its sauce to a shallow container, cool and refrigerate within 2 hours of finishing cooking. Keep at 4°C or below and eat within 2 days. Store the reserved crème fraîche and salsa separately, covered; ideally add the hazelnuts to the salsa just before serving. Take the leek out about 30 minutes before serving and leave the toppings refrigerated until the last moment. Do not leave the finished dish out of the fridge for more than 2 hours in total. Freezing is not recommended because of the sauce's texture.
Timing
Hands-on: 35 min · Cooking: 1 hr 15 min · Resting: 30 min
The total allows for tasks done in parallel. The individual times can overlap.
