Ive always been a bit skeptical of leeks. They don’t seem to play well with other ingredients. They tend to find themselves alone in a watery pool at the edge of the plate until finally; they squeak on the teeth. I failed to see why anyone would like soupe au vin – perhaps it would be better without leeks? In pot-au-feu they worked well enough I guess. Only recently have I really warmed to them. This came about when I decided to attempt Marco Pierre White’s Leek and Lobster terrine. I wasn’t sure if mine was going to work, so I saved a few pennies by substituting the lobster for feta. Good thing, because it turns out baby leeks cost a leg for an armful as well. Anyway it was a massive success and I am now a leek convert.

When it came to Leeks vinaigrette it was simply a case of what was in season. A case of availability of the fresh ingredients but having no idea what I was supposed to be expecting. Sortof like when someone hands you a book and tells you to read without first knowing anything about the story. The leek was straight forward, but as the sauce Gribiche started to come together I began to assume I must have gone wrong somewhere along the way. It is lumpy, bitty and just sort of wrong-looking. Despite the texture and appearance the taste is very smooth and works perfectly. When analyzed by my test-subjects, they came to the conclusion that it contains the components of a fancy mayonaise but deconstructed, or.. who knows.. boiled egg in a sauce? It works.

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