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Braised leek and wild garlic pesto.

Braised Leek and Wild Garlic Pesto

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A fresh spring recipe with wild garlic pesto and braised leek. Learn how to use wild garlic, make flavorful pesto, and turn leek into a rich, buttery dish.

  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 2-3 portions 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Wild Garlic Pesto

  • 100 g (3 ½ oz or ¾ cup) pine nuts and/or hazelnuts
  • 4 dl (1 ⅔ cups) olive oil
  • 70 g (2 ½ oz or ¾ cup) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • 50 g (1 ¾ oz or ½ cup) Pecorino Romano, grated
  • 1 liter (4 ¼ cups) wild garlic, roughly chopped
  • 4 dl (1 ⅔ cups) basil, chopped
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Sea salt, to taste

Braised Leek

  • 12 leeks, white part only
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 dl (¾ cup) stock (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 ½ tbsp miso paste
  • 1 dl (½ cup) white wine
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

Wild Garlic Pesto

  1. Lightly toast the nuts in a frying pan, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
  2. Add all the ingredients to a food processor.
  3. Pulse until a fine pesto forms, scraping down the sides as needed.
  4. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge.

Braised Leek

  1. Cut the white part of the leeks into 4–5 cm (1 ½–2 inch) pieces. Pat dry on the cut sides with a towel or paper towel.
  2. Heat the stock until warm. Pour half into a bowl and whisk in the miso paste until dissolved.
  3. Heat the cooking oil in a sauté pan and sear the leeks on the cut sides for a few minutes on each side until caramelized and golden brown.
  4. Pour in the plain stock (without miso) and add the honey. Let simmer for a few minutes.
  5. Add the white wine and let it reduce by half.
  6. Add the butter, cover with a lid, and let simmer on low heat for 3–4 minutes.
  7. Season with salt and baste the leeks with the sauce using a spoon for a few minutes.
  8. Add the miso stock and let simmer for another minute.
  9. Serve with the pesto and bread or pasta.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes