Correspondent photo by ERIC STANWAY Leeks are surrounded by cheese and potatoes in this casserole.
Correspondent photo by ERIC STANWAY Leeks are surrounded by cheese and potatoes in this casserole.
Not many vegetables can attain the status of a national symbol. Actually, I can only think of one that does, being the ancient member of the onion family, the leek.
Since the seventh century, the leek has been the revered totem of the Welsh people. Oddly, this came about not through its adaptation to local recipes, but its use in time of war.
In A.D. 640, the Welsh King Cadwallader found himself besieged by rampaging Saxons. The battlefield was in chaos, and his troops were unable to differentiate friend from foe. The king found an unusual solution in the leeks, which had been introduced to the country by ancient Phoenicians a thousand years earlier. He had his troops wear the vegetable in their hats – and they won the day. Even now, leek imagery predominates in Welsh rituals and iconography.
William Shakespeare draws on this connection between the leek and the Welsh people in “Henry V,” when the Welsh captain turns to King Hal after his victory over the French at Agincourt and says: “Your majesty says very true: If your majesties is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps; which, your majesty know, to this hour is an honourable badge of the service; and I do believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy’s day.”
As inextricably combined with the history of the Welsh as leeks are, their pedigree goes back much further, to the conflicts between the Egyptians and the Israelites. As Moses led his people out into the desert in search of the Promised Land, they became desperate and began to pine for the foods they had left behind. Calling upon Moses, they lamented: “Remember how in Egypt, we had fish for the asking, cucumbers, and watermelons, leeks and onions and garlic.”
Indeed, leeks were predominant all over the ancient world. Besides the Egyptians, the Romans and Greeks used it regularly in cooking and for medicinal purposes. The ancient gourmand Marcus Gavius Apicius, who has been mentioned here before, was particularly fond of them; he maintained that the best specimens came from Egypt, and served them as a vegetable, as opposed to a flavoring. His recipe is as follows:
All green vegetables are suited to this purpose: very young beets and mature leeks are parboiled; arrange them in a baking dish, grind pepper and cumin, add broth and condensed must (wine reduced by half), or anything else to sweeten them a little, heat and finish them in a slow fire, and serve.
Other Romans lauded the medicinal qualities of the leek. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, recommended them for nosebleeds, while the infamous Emperor Nero, believing they would improve his singing voice, ate vast amounts of leeks, when he wasn’t burning down Rome or engaging in other such shenanigans.
Of course, any vegetable has its detractors. The French, denigrating it as “poor man’s asparagus,” have named it poireau, which means “simpleton.” In a sly move, the mystery novelist Agatha Christie named her detective Hercule Poirot, who is obviously anything but dense.
If you’ve never prepared leeks before, you should be prepared to clean them thoroughly. As they take nine months to grow to maturity, they pick up an awful lot of sand on the way. Cut the roots off and the green tops (you can use the tops to make vegetable stock, if desired). Split them right down the middle, and then slice thinly. Immerse in a bowl of cold water, and swirl them around until the sand comes out. Rinse, and repeat until the water runs clear.
The following recipe is a good way to familiarize yourself with this ancient and versatile vegetable.
LEEK AND POTATO PIE
Serves 12.
5 or 6 Yukon Gold potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely minced
1 pound light turkey kielbasa, sliced
1 bunch leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese
Place potatoes, unpeeled, in a large pan. Cover with salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, until tender.
Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add onion and kielbasa, and cook until browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the rest of the oil to the pan, and cook the leeks until tender. Return kielbasa and onion to pan. Add tomatoes, undrained, and half of the evaporated milk. Cover, and reduce to a simmer.
Drain potatoes, and mash thoroughly. Add the rest of the milk and the butter. Whisk until well incorporated and smooth.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large casserole dish, put in half of the mashed potatoes. Pour leek mixture over the top, and cover with the remaining potatoes. Grate cheddar cheese over the top. Bake until cheese melts and becomes bubbly and brown. Serve hot at once.
Eric Stanway can be reached at eric.stanway@yahoo.com or www.Eric Stanway.com.
