Name: Fermented Leeks
Yield: Makes 2½ cups [500 g]
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: One 1-in [2.5-cm] piece fresh horseradish, peeled and finely grated; 8 leeks, white and light-green parts only, cut into ¼-in [6-mm] rings; 1 Tbsp kosher salt

Preparation info

Makes
2½ cups

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Gjelina

By Travis Lett

Published 2015

About

We cook leeks in various ways at Gjelina, playing up their natural sweetness through braising, charring, or, here, lacto-fermenting as one would sauerkraut. This is a pickle that elevates pâté or smoked fish, and takes an egg or tuna salad sandwich to new heights.

Ingredients

8 leeks, white and light-green parts only, cut into ¼-in [6-mm] rings
1 Tbsp kosher salt
One

Method

Rinse the leeks in several changes of cold water to remove any dirt. Gently squeeze the excess water out of the leeks. Place the leeks in a mixing bowl and massage the salt into them, separating the rings and causing them to release some liquid. Stir in the horseradish.

Pack the leeks into a 1-qt [1-L] glass jar with a lid. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let sit at room te