Roasted Leek Bites in Sauce
Prep. Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings
2 plates
Difficulty
Challenging
Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, dairy-free, egg-free
Most people don’t think “leek” when they think finger food—but here’s the surprise. I started thinking what to do with these leeks because they were sitting in the fridge giving me guilt every time I opened the drawer. So I roasted them until golden, gave them a quick olive oil/balsamic gloss, and suddenly they’re bite-sized little stars. What really makes it pop is the sauce: chestnuts for creamy sweetness, roasted peppers for smoky depth, and a punch of garlic and sun-dried tomato to tie it all together. It looks way fancier than it is to make.
Ingredients
2 leek stalks
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
For the Sauce
1 tbsp sundried tomatoes in oil
1/2 cup chestnuts (peeled & cooked, store-bought bag)
1 bell pepper, roasted
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat an oven-safe pan, and lightly greese it with vegetable oil.
Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
Prepare the leeks: Slice off the dark green tops and root ends, to keep mostly the light green and white parts. Rinse well (they hide dirt in the layers), and cut into 1-inch rounds.
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt.
Place the leek rounds on the hot pan to roast them on both sides. Fry on low-medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Roast in the oven: Drizzle the sauce on the leeks and place the pan in the oven, to roast for 10-15 minutes, until lightly caramelized.
If you do not have store-bought bell peppers, quickly roast it: cut the walls of a fresh pepper, and simply toss it on a hot pan for about 5-10 minutes total.
Make the sauce bed: while the leeks roast, in a food processor, blend together the sauce ingredients, until creamy and spoonable.
Assemble: spread the sauce on a serving plate. Nestle the roasted leek bites on top, and serve!
Notes
Chestnuts can be substituted with walnuts for a just-as-good result.
For a better result, make sure to use sun-dried tomatoes in oil, which really adds depth of flavor.
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