Poireaux vinaigrette

Leeks poireaux  vinaigrette is a classic of French bistrots. Strangely, we never had it at home, despite having leeks in the garden every winter.
I have to thank Orangette for making me discover this dish through a blog post 2 years ago. This is definitely my favorite way of eating leeks. The delicate vinaigrette infuses into the tender leeks, the vinegar kicking through the almost sweet vegetable.
I strongly advise to use fresh leeks to make this. It's even better to wait until the ground has frozen, as the frost transforms the sharp onion-like flavour of the leek into sweetness. Good quality mustard and white wine vinegar are also important. As in every recipe with few ingredients, you can really taste each one, so you should use the best.
[recette en français plus bas]

Leeks vinaigrette - serves 2 or 4 as side dish 
Inspired from Orangette

7-8 small leeks
3 TB white wine vinegar
1-2 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small shallot, chopped

[1] Mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Adjust seasoning to taste.
[2] Cut and discard the tough green part from the leeks. Make 2 cuts in the length of each leek but keeping the white bottom part whole, so that the leek still holds together. Wash thoroughly in cold water.
[3] Cook the leeks in a large pot of boiling salted water until they are very tender and their color is slightly muted, 10-15 minutes. Drain and press the leeks into a kitchen towel to remove as much humidity as possible. Don't skip this step or the taste of your vinaigrette will be diluted in leek water.
[4] Serve the leeks warm or at room temperature with the vinaigrette.

Poireaux vinaigrette - pour 2 personnes ou 4 comme accompagnement
Inspiré par Orangette

7-8 petits poireaux
3 CS de vinaigre de vin blanc
1-2 cc de moutarde de Dijon
1/4 cc de sel
4 CS d'huile d'olive
1 petite échalote, hachée

[1] Mélanger tous les ingrédients de la vinaigrette. Corriger l'assaisonnement.
[2] Ôter les feuilles vertes épaisses des poireaux. Couper en 4 dans la longueur mais en gardant la partie blanche du bas intacte de manière à ce que l'ensemble tienne encore. Bien laver pour ôter la terre.
[3] Cuire les poireaux dans une grande casserole d'eau bouillante salée, 10-15 minutes, jusqu'à ce que les poireaux soient très tendres. Bien égoutter puis presser les poireaux dans un linge de cuisine pour ôter un maximum d'humidité. Ne pas négliger cette étape sinon la vinaigrette sera diluée dans l'eau de cuisson.
[4] Servir les poireaux tièdes ou à température ambiante avec la vinaigrette.