A while ago we had a happy accident while Annette was making chicken and leek pies in the pie-maker; a little mixture leaked out around the edge, and some of the leek got a bit over-cooked. But it smelled delicious, and added a nice bit of caramelisation to the flavour.
Since leek's related to onions, it seems that it caramelises in a similar manner. To test this theory, I made a leek-based stir-fry that turned out very nicely, so I present the recipe here. It's simple, but I'm proud of it nonetheless!
- 1 whole leek, sliced into thin rings
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
- Half a cup of green beans
- 1 chicken breast, thinly sliced
- A handful of cabbage (drum-head or red), chopped into strips
- A little Canola oil to line the pan
Put the oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat (2 out of 6 on our stove-top using a heavy-based pan, but probably go higher if you're using a wok).
When the oil is heated, stir-fry the chicken until it's sealed on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Apply some more oil, and fry the leeks until they soften and start to brown. Stir them with a spatula to separate the rings and give them all a good chance to cook.
Add the rest of the vegetables and the chicken. Fry it all up, using a spatula to mix the ingredients and heat everything through. Keep going until the leek is well browned and the smell loses its sharpness and starts to turn caramelised, but avoid burning it to the bottom of the pan!
I've often been making this without the chicken as a side to a meat dish, and haven't been making a sauce or anything. If your diet allows, you might want to try a sauce (not sure what to suggest; ideas?) or experiment with additional stir-fry ingredients. The caramelised leek is the focal point though, so I guess you probably don't want to add anything that's going to overwhelm that flavour.
Let me know if you have any suggestions for variations or improvements!
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