Air Fryer Burnt Leeks with Green Sauce
In general, a burnt leek is a bitter leek, and would definitely make a soup, stew or sauce unpalatable if it was allowed to catch in the pan. However, you can use a fierce and direct heat to add a rich smoky depth if you get the method right. The trick, beloved by restaurants in recent years, is to place them under the grill or directly onto a griddle and cook them until the outsides are black and blistered and the whole thing is soft and tender to a knife tip. The burnt outer layers are discarded, and the soft, sweet, smoky flesh can be consumed. An air fryer is a perfect and swift alternative as you get all that focused heat in an enclosed space. A simple but showy starter that can be finished with any dressing or sauce that you think fits; we’ve added a classic green sauce as an example.
Cook's notes
The Spanish have a tradition of doing this with calçots (somewhere between a spring onion and a leek) on open fires and serving them warm with a smoky romesco sauce and generous pitchers of red wine.
Ingredients
main
- 6 leeks
- flaky sea salt
for the sauce:
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- small bunch of chervil or mint, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped capers
- 1 tbsp chopped gherkins, or 1 finely chopped anchovy fillet
- 4 tbsp olive oil
Method
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Step 1
Trim and remove the dark green tops from the leeks at the point they start to flare - they are perfectly usable so save them for other dishes, like our Leek Top Mash. You can give the leeks a quick wash to remove any dirt from the cut end, but you needn’t strip away any outside layers as they will not get eaten.
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Step 2
Place them in the air fryer basket, equally spaced. Air fry at 200˚C for between 12-16 mins depending on their thickness, or until blackened on the outside and completely tender to a knife tip in the middle.
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Step 3
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Mix everything together and season with salt and pepper. Alternatively, muddle it together in a pestle and mortar or blitz in a processor for a smoother finish. Add more olive oil to get a spoonable consistency if you need to.
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Step 4
When the leeks are ready, slice them in half lengthways, season lightly with flaky sea salt and serve with the sauce spooned artistically across the top. Scrape out and eat the soft interior flesh but leave and discard the burnt outer layers. You can remove them before serving if you like but they are more visually striking if left.