Leek season · No. 5

Leeks with egg mayo and Maggi

Soft leeks under a rich chopped-egg mayo seasoned with Maggi, the Swiss-born sauce every Vietnamese kitchen keeps. Salty, eggy, a little funky.

30 min · serves 4

1. You need

   • 8 thin leeks or 4 medium
   • Kosher salt
   • 4 eggs
   • ⅓ cup (75 g) mayonnaise (Kewpie if you have it)
   • 2 tsp Maggi seasoning, plus a few drops to finish
   • 1 tsp rice vinegar
   • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
   • 1 small shallot, minced
   • Chives and cilantro, chopped
   • Black pepper and a pinch of chili flakes

   How to make it

   1. Trim and split the leeks, keeping the root end, and rinse well. Simmer in salted water until completely tender, 6 to 8 minutes for thin leeks, 12 to 15 for medium. Drain cut side down and press dry. Chill them while you make the topping.
   2. Boil the eggs for 9 minutes, cool in ice water, peel and chop them finely.
   3. Stir the mayo, Maggi, rice vinegar, mustard and shallot together, then fold in the egg. Taste: it should be salty and savory; add Maggi a few drops at a time.
   4. Lay the leeks on a plate, spoon the egg mayo down the middle, shake a few more drops of Maggi over, and finish with chives, cilantro, pepper and chili.

Chef's home version of Bistrot Ha's leeks vinaigrette with egg, mayo and maggi (New York), in our own words, not the restaurant's recipe.