I often get rather obsessed with one ingredient. You will notice that it happened with fennel a few months ago. Well, right now it is leeks. A pretty brilliant vegetable if you ask me. Stocked full of flavor, they exhibit a richness that they don’t really have – if that makes sense, they seem a lot richer than they are. I have tried a bunch of different recipes and preparations of leeks, but this has to be an absolute favorite. The hazelnuts add some crunch and extra earthiness, and the vinegar just seems to mellow out and smooth the leeks even more. It might sound like an odd mixture, but it is absolutely fantastic, give it a go.

 Leeks, roasted hazelnuts and balsamic vinegar

2 large leeks

2 handfuls of hazelnuts

2 tablespoons of really good balsamic vinegar

olive oil

butter

a splash of white wine (optional)

salt

Start by trimming the leeks. Cut off the tough dark green tops, and cut of the rooty bottom. Remove the tough outer layer of the leek, it really won’t taste that great. Wash the leek, making sure all dirt is removed, especially from the top end (the rings are more open there, and dirt loves to hide up there). Cut a slice half way through the leek lengthwise down the whole length of the leek. Now, cut the leek into 1″ slices, crossways. The long slit that we first made will allow each of these rings to open up.

Put the hazelnuts in a dish, cover with foil, and roast in the oven at about 400degrees for 20 minutes. The skins will blacken. When roasted, tip out into some paper towels, and vigorously rub all over to remove most of the toasted skins. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts, discarding the burnt skins.

In a large frying pan, heat a little oil and a tablespoon of butter. When hot, throw in the leeks. Gently cook until the leeks are just soft. At this stage you can crank up the heat and add the white wine if you wish. Let this cook right down until close to dry. Toss in the hazelnuts, and a sprinkle of salt. Toss together, and slowly add the balsamic vinegar. Mix in 1 tablespoon and give it a taste. All the flavors should blend perfectly. If you cannot taste any of the vinegar, add a bit more. All vinegars behave differently, so use taste to judge.

There you go, job done! This would go great with a nice fillet of fish, or even some steak to be honest.