Leeks with Dill Vinaigrette and Roasted Garlic Tarator
A Turkish-inspired side fit for a Pasha
This vegetarian starter was inspired by a dish I had at a restaurant on the banks of the Bosphorus last spring. To make this gluten-free, I omitted the stale bread or breadcrumbs that are traditionally added to Turkish-style tarator, and I roasted a head of garlic to intensify the flavour. The addition of anchovies gives it a moreish and umami quality and when paired with soft tender leeks, transforms this humble Ottoman mezze into a Sultan-worthy starter.
Read till the end for the 30 second cooking video!
Serves 4
Cook Time: ~ 1 hour
Kitchen Tools:
- Large pot, for boiling
- Measuring cup and measuring spoon
- Small food processor
- Small pan, for dry roasting the walnuts
- Bowls, for mixing
- Chef’s knife and cutting board, to chop the vegetables
Ingredients:
For the leeks:
3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
4 medium leeks
For the roasted garlic tarator:
1/2 cup walnuts
1 head of garlic
4 anchovies
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3-4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
4-5 tablespoons of water
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Start with the tarator. Slice off the top of 1 whole head of garlic, leaving a little of the cloves exposed. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, then wrap it in foil and place in the oven to roast for 40 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. The garlic cloves should be very soft and confit-like.
In a small pan, dry roast 1/2 cup walnuts over high heat until toasted, then transfer to a small food processor and let it cool before blitzing it until finely ground. Squeeze out the roasted garlic into the nut mix, add 4 chopped anchovies, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon sugar, 3-4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and 4-5 tablespoons of water, blitzing to a smooth and runny consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl.
To make the dill vinaigrette, mix together 2 tablespoons of chopped dill with the zest and juice of 1/2 lemon, 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
Trim the root ends of the 4 leeks and the tips of the hard green leaves, removing any dry outer leaves. Wash them in running water, ensuring you remove any soil or dirt trapped in between the layers. Making a slit down the middle helps, as does soaking the leek rounds in cold water once they’ve been sliced. Cut the leeks into 1/2 inch rounds.
Add them into salted boiling water, bring to a boil and then simmer until very tender, 8-10 minutes, then drain completely before tossing the cooked leeks in a bowl with 3/4 of the dill vinaigrette.
To assemble, spread the roast garlic tarator on a serving platter, top with the leeks and spoon the remaining dill vinaigrette on top.
Kitchen Notes:
Tarator: In Turkey, tarator is a humble mezze made with walnuts, stale bread, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. In Syria and Lebanon, the sauce contains sesame tahini.
Substitutions:
EVOO: avocado oil or vegetable oil
Walnuts: almonds
Dill: chives, basil, parsley