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Leeks with Egg and Lemon Sauce

An egg and lemon sauce is one of Turkey’s culinary signature tunes. A touch of sugar gives it a slight sweet-and-sour taste. I like making this dish, which can be served hot or cold, with baby leeks, but larger ones can be used instead.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds baby leeks
Salt
2 egg yolks
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1 teaspoon sugar

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Wash the leeks in running water, making sure you remove any dirt trapped between the leaves. Trim the root ends and the tough tops of the green leaves.

    Step 2

    Boil the leeks in salted water until tender, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Pour this cooking water back into the pan and bring to the boil.

    Step 3

    In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and lemon juice with the sugar. Pour in a little of the hot cooking water and beat well, then pour the egg and lemon mixture into the pan, beating vigorously, for seconds only until the sauce thickens slightly. Be careful not to let it boil or it will curdle. Add a little salt, if necessary, to taste.

    Step 4

    Serve the leeks hot or cold with the sauce poured over.

Arabesque
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