Spring Leeks and Peas with Lemon
Light, bright, and so welcome right now.
by Erin Henderson
Early bursts of spring are just so... invigorating.
I truly love all the seasons – when one is ending, I'm ready for the next, never mourning what is going and never dreading what's coming – but spring's annual March peep show is always so energizing.
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The sun and gently cool breeze is such a salve to a grey winter; like suddenly living in technicolour. For the time being, the brown braises that soothe our souls through winter are put on hold, and the bright, fresh, and crisp vegetables of a shiny new harvest are rolled out with reverence.
This early blast of warmth, which comes every year, won't last, of course; we won't really feel spring for another month, but man, make hay while the sun shines as the saying goes. Or better yet, makes these lemony leeks and peas.
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Leeks and Peas with Lemon
I made this side dish to go alongside a roast chicken and some fingerling potatoes on the first really great, spring-like weekend of the year, and honestly, I ate most of it straight from the pan, like an absolute animal, while waiting for the rest of the dinner to come together.
I think the preserved lemon really makes this springy side, but if you don't have any, a good grating of lemon zest will do just fine.
Makes: about 8 side dish servings (or just one, for me, no need to bother plating.)
Chef level: easy
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp salted butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 large leeks, washed well and sliced
- 4 large cloved garlic, finely minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 200ml dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
- 7 oz sugar snap peas, tough strings removed and sliced on the diagonal
- 50ml vegetable stock
- 2-3 Tbsp preserved lemon, finely diced
How to Make It:
- Melt the butter and oil in a large, high sided frying pan over med-low heat.
- Add the leeks and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and gently cook, until the leeks are meltingly soft, but haven't turned crispy and brown, about 10 minutes.
- Pour in the wine, and allow to reduce slightly into a nice creamy sauce, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar snap peas and the stock and cook another 2-3 minutes until the peas are cooked but still firm and bright green.
Wine Pairing
This celebration of spring deserves a bright and crisp white wine that has a lightly vegetal note. Sauvignon Blanc is the obvious pick, but if you're looking to shake things up a bit, a Spanish Vedejo would work well here, too.