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Rich leek soup and Welsh rarebit with piccachilli and frazzled leeks
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 700g Welsh leeks
- 80g Castle Dairies butter with Halen Môn salt, cut into cubes
- 2tbsp rapeseed oil, such as Pembrokeshire Gold
- 250g potatoes, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
- 1tsp Halen Môn sea salt crystals
- 1tsp freshly ground white pepper
- 750ml good-quality vegetable stock
- 150ml whole milk
- 150ml double cream
- 20g chives, roughly chopped leek oil, such as Dylan’s, to serve
For the frazzled leek
- 1 fat Welsh leek
- 150ml rapeseed oil, such as Pembrokeshire Gold, or sunflower oil
For the Welsh rarebit
- 4 x 1.5cm thick slices laver loaf (see below) or sourdough
- 4tbsp piccachilli, such as Chilli of the Valley
- 15g Castle Dairies butter with Halen Môn salt, cut into small cubes
- 1/2tsp mustard powder
- 1/2tsp ground black pepper
- 1tbsp plain flour
- 3tbsp beer, such as Wild Horse Brewing Co Nokota
- 125g Teifi Cheese, finely grated
Laver loaves (makes 2)
- 5tsp premium dried toasted laver seaweed flakes, such as The Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company Welshman’s Caviar
- 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 30g Welsh butter with Halen Môn sea salt crystals, such as Castle Dairies
- 2tsp golden caster sugar
- 1tsp Halen Môn sea salt crystals
- 1 sachet fast action dried yeast
- 1tsp rapeseed oil, such as Pembrokeshire Gold
Method
For the soup, trim the leeks, cut a slit down the top dark green section to open them up a little and wash to remove any soil. Slice into 1/2cm rounds, put in a colander and rinse again.
Put the butter and oil in a pan and heat to melt the butter, then add the leeks and stir to coat. Sweat, uncovered, over a medium heat for 5
minutes. Stir in the potatoes and the seasoning and continue to sweat for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time so that the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the stock, milk and cream and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes without letting it boil too fiercely. Add the chives and simmer for 5 more minutes. Cool for a few minutes, then put in a blender or use a stick blender and pulse until smooth. Set aside.
Meanwhile, for the frazzled leek, prepare the leek as before, drain well and dry on kitchen paper, then finely shred widthways. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the leek, in 3 batches, until lightly golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
For the Welsh rarebit, preheat the grill to hot and line a baking tray with foil. Toast the laver loaf or sourdough slices for around 1 minute on both sides until just golden. Using a 7cm biscuit cutter, stamp out circles and put them on the prepared baking tray. Put 1tbsp piccachilli in the centre of each piece of toast.
Put the butter in a medium pan over a low heat. As soon as it melts, take it off the heat and blend in the mustard powder, pepper, flour and beer followed by the cheese, then return to the heat and stir continuously until everything is melted together. Spoon the mixture on to the toasts to cover the piccachilli completely, then put under the grill for around 2 minutes or until it is spotted golden.
Reheat the leek soup before ladling into 4 serving bowls. Top with a Welsh rarebit toast, followed by some of the frazzled leek, then spoon a little leek oil over to serve.
FOR THE LAVER LOAVES
Put the seaweed flakes in a spice or coffee grinder and pulse to break up a little, without turning them into powder. Pour 325ml warm water into a jug. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, add the butter and rub in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, salt, yeast and ground seaweed and pour in the water, a little at a time, using your hands to knead until the dough leaves the side of the bowl.
Tip on to a floured work surface, knead until soft and elastic, then form into a ball. Smear the oil around the bowl, add the dough and cover with a clean cloth. Leave in a warmish place for around 1 hour until doubled in size, then tip on to a floured surface. Knead for 1 minute, cut in half and form each half into a 24cm baguette shape. Leave the dough to prove again for around 15 minutes.
Line a baking tray with a double-thickness piece of foil large enough to create 2 mounds that will support the long sides of the loaves. Preheat
the oven to 210C/190C F/Gas 6.
Put the loaves on the prepared tray, folding the foil to support the sides. Bake for 25 minutes until they are golden and make a hollow sound when tapped on the base. If the sides aren’t cooked enough, turn and cook for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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