As the new year encourages healthier eating, a celebrated British chef has shared a remarkably simple trick to transform a humble winter vegetable into a gourmet delight. ITV's James Martin has revealed that a single, affordable ingredient can completely revolutionise the flavour of leeks, making them "absolutely amazing."
The Tapas-Inspired Dressing Secret
On his popular show, James Martin's Saturday Morning, the 53-year-old chef demonstrated his go-to method for cooking leeks, which are in their prime between November and March. After washing and charring them on a grill or barbecue for maximum impact, he tops them with crispy lardons and a signature dressing.
The real game-changer in his recipe, however, is an unexpected addition. "When I was in the tapas place, I couldn't think what it was, and when I went into the back of the kitchen it was oyster sauce," Martin explained. He enthused that just a tiny bit of oyster sauce provides an incredible aroma and takes the leeks to "another level."
His versatile dressing combines chopped hazelnuts, bacon fat, hazelnut oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, fresh parsley, and the crucial dash of oyster sauce.
A Zero-Waste Winter Staple
Demonstrating a commitment to avoiding food waste, Martin also showed viewers how to use every part of the vegetable. He repurposed the often-discarded leafy green tops into a comforting leek and potato soup, prepared in "less than five minutes."
For a clever garnish, he thinly sliced and gently deep-fried the green ends until crisp. "You don't waste any of it because you've got all this amazing flavour from it," he stated. The simple soup involves softening leeks in milk and butter, adding grated potato and seasoning, then blending until smooth.
Embracing Seasonal British Produce
Martin is on a mission to encourage Brits to eat more seasonal, locally-grown produce. He passionately urged viewers: "It's a fantastic ingredient this. I urge you, if you see it in the supermarket and it's from this country, buy it, it is just epic."
James Martin's Saturday Morning airs weekly from 9.30am on ITV and ITVX, where the chef regularly shares accessible recipes and culinary tips for home cooks across the UK.
