Leek Mosaic Salad

Trying to replicate a dish I really liked, but without a recipe, is one of my favorite challenges in the kitchen. This week I tried my hand at a first course of poached leeks with a light vinaigrette discovered on a recent trip to Paris.  The dish was on the menu of Le Tout-Paris, a new, trendy, retro-styled restaurant where reservations are near impossible.  It sits on the top floor of the stratospherically expensive hotel, Le Cheval Blanc, owned by LVMH which is also part of their newly renovated department store, Le Samaritaine. Le Tout-Paris’ panoramic view of the city and Seine River was as stunning as was its food.

The restaurant concept is based on a contemporary interpretation of French brasserie classics. Think onion soup, potato gratin, roasted chicken….and poached leeks.   

The chef’s updated riff on basic bistro fare was original, inventive, and fun.  For example, the dish consisted of finger-sized leeks piled on top of each other like little logs and then dressed with a vinaigrette.  Next, the chef added the tiniest cubes imaginable of cheese and bread croutons, and delicately fried capers.  The dish’s crowning glory was a shower of the leek’s green tops—the part we normally toss! —which were slivered into strips as fine as filigree, then fried.

Even though finding such delicate leeks would be impossible in New York, I tried my best anyway to recreate this dazzling dish.  What follows is a super simplified rendition.

Ingredients:

6-8 leeks (as thin as you can find) thoroughly washed and dried

1 Tablespoon EVOO

1 Tablespoon sweet butter

4 Tablespoons capers, rinsed and dried

2 cups baby greens

¾ cup hard cheese (Gruyère, Comté or young Gouda) cut into ¼ inch cubes

¾ cup brioche croutons cut into ¼ inch cubes

Vinaigrette (use your favorite recipe)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1.    Cut leeks into ¾ inch rounds, using white part only.  (Save the green tops for making vegetable stock).

2.    Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Gently add one layer of leek rounds, cut side down, and cook gently over a medium heat for a total of approximately six minutes to caramelize. (Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your leeks.) Only turn the rounds once midway through the cooking process, then  cover with a lid.  Cook for the final three minutes and then, test for doneness. Do not overcook.  Set aside and allow to cool. (You will need to repeat this process for the rest of the leeks. Add more olive oil and butter, if necessary.) Do not clean the skillet as you will reuse it later to sauté the capers.)

3.    Use a 3-inch metal ring for plating the dish. Gently place the leek rounds horizontally inside the ring placed in the middle of a plate, pushing the pieces together as closely as possible to create a mosaic effect. Remove ring and proceed with preparing the next plate. (This part can be prepared in advance and kept at room temperature for several hours.) 

4.    Sauté the capers until crisp, about two minutes, using the same skillet and leftover oil and butter from cooking the leeks. Set aside and allow to cool.

5.    Brush each leek round with vinaigrette, about 1 teaspoon.

6.    Circle each round of leeks with a handful of baby greens. (Adding a drizzle of vinaigrette is optional.)

7.    Top with cheese cubes, croutons, and fried capers. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Serves: 4

Recommended wine: A Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Burgundy Chardonnay, Verdejo, Arneis, or if red is preferred, either a Merlot or Beaujolais.