Seared Leeks and Shaved Cheese With Greek Currants or Prunes
I hope you enjoy this Greek recipe from my last book, My Greek Table. It’s a great paean to the versatility of vegetables in the Greek and Mediterranean Diet. What I love most about this dish is its simple elegance. The recipe below is an adaptation of an old Macedonian dish which called for wild onion or leek stalks.
Ingredients
- 6 large leeks
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil divided, plus extra for brushing the grill
- Greek sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh strained lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Greek or other balsamic vinegar
- 4 pitted prunes finely chopped, or 2 tablespoons Corinthian currants
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 5 ounces / 150 gr. kasseri kefalotyri, or aged myzithra cheese, or any sharp sheep’s milk cheese, such as pecorino
Instructions
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Trim the leek roots and cut off and discard the tough green ends. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse thoroughly under cold water to wash away any sand.
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Bring an inch of water to a boil in the bottom of a pot or steamer. Place the leeks in the steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and toss with half the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
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While the leeks are steaming, whisk together the remaining olive oil, balsamic, chopped prunes or currants, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
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Light the grill to medium or place a grill pan on the stovetop and brush lightly with a little olive oil. Grill or sear the steamed leeks for 5 to 8 minutes, turning often with kitchen tongs, just until grill marks appear. Remove from the heat and place on a serving platter. Drizzle with the prune/currant dressing and garnish with shaved cheese. Serve.
