Leek salad with apple and sweetcorn: a crunchy winter side, fifteen minutes' work
Leek cut into thin rings and scalded so it loses its bite and doesn't linger on the breath, tossed with grated apple, sweetcorn and a light dressing of yogurt with mayonnaise. The winter salad for when there are no tomatoes or radishes left and the cutlet asks for something fresh.
Your own work in that: 15 min.
- Leek, apple, dressing 15 min
- Resting 20 min
Step by step
0 / 5 doneWash the leek from the inside
Cut off the root and the dark green leaves. Slit the leek lengthways to the middle and fan the layers open under running water: grit settles between them and cannot be rinsed out of a whole stalk. Pat dry.
Ingredients: 2 pcs leeks · 1 pcs apple · 200 g tinned sweetcorn · ½ pcs lemon, juice
TipGrit in the leek can ruin the whole salad. Slitting it takes ten seconds and solves the problem.
Slit lengthways, rinsed between the layersSlice into thin rings
Cut the leek into rings 2–3 mm thick. Thicker ones stay tough and stringy; thin ones soften from the scalding and the dressing alone.
Rings two to three millimetres thickScald with boiling water
Put the rings in a sieve and pour boiling water from the kettle over them, then cold water straight away. Drain and dry. Scalding takes away the leek's harshness and the smell that stays on your breath half a day, while leaving the crunch.
TipDon't boil the leek, just pour the water over it. A minute or two in boiling water and it turns soft and limp, and this salad is meant to crunch.
Boiling water, then cold at onceGrate the apple and mix
Peel the apple and grate it coarsely, splashing with lemon at once. Toss with the leek and the drained sweetcorn. Stir the yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, salt and pepper into a dressing, pour it over and fold together.
Ingredients: 4 tbsp natural yogurt · 2 tbsp mayonnaise · 1 tsp sugar · ½ tsp salt · ½ tsp black pepper
Apple coarse, corn drained, dressing inRest for twenty minutes
Refrigerate 20 minutes: the leek softens in the dressing and the flavours marry. Taste and adjust. Keeps 2 days in the fridge, after which the leek releases water.
Twenty minutes and it goes to the table
Before you start
With cheese
100 g grated hard cheese instead of the sweetcorn: a richer, party version, close to the layered leek salad.
Sharper
Skip the scalding and use twice the apple with a spoon of sour cream. The leek stays distinctly pungent — a version for lovers of bold flavours.
With raisins
A handful of raisins soaked 10 minutes in warm water: a sweet-savoury version, good with poultry and cold cuts.
