This is a simple dish, but such a special salad. I love leeks this time of year and to combine them with a few farm eggs just seems like a natural thing to do.

Tip: You can assemble this in advance and leave to marinate for an hour or so before serving.

Leeks Vinaigrette
Serves 6-8

Vinaigrette:
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon capers, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of brine (liquid) from the jar of capers
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small bunch fresh tarragon, washed, dried, stemmed, and chopped

4 medium-size eggs

8-10 leeks (about 4-41/2 pounds) root ends trimmed, green top part trimmed, and 1 or 2 tough outer layers peeled away

Garnishes:
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stemmed, washed, dried, and chopped
15-10 celery heart leaves (the small yellow leaves at the heart of a head of celery)
¼ cup toasted breadcrumbs seasoned with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


1.    Make the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and Sherry vinegar. Add the capers, caper juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and add the tarragon. Taste for seasoning. Set aside.

2.    Hard-boil the eggs: Place the eggs in a pot large enough to hold them in a single layer and cover them with cold water. Set the timer for 12 minutes. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat level to a slight simmer. Cook for a total of 12 minutes. Drain the water from the eggs and run a steady stream of cold water over them to stop them from overcooking.

3.    Prepare the leeks: Bring a large skillet of water to a boil. Split the leeks in half lengthwise but not all the way to the end. The leeks should remain in one piece. Wash the insides of each leek thoroughly under running cold water, as leeks are rather dirty. Take care to run the water through the various layers of each leek so there is no dirt remaining. The slightest bit of dirt in the leek results in a mouthful of grit when eating this dish. After each leek is washed, do your best to close them up as if they hadn't been cut.

4.    When the water boils, season it amply with salt. It should taste like sea water. Prepare an ice bath. Plunge the leeks in the boiling water and cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 5-8 minutes. The leeks should be tender, but should retain their shape and not feel mushy. Plunge them into the ice bath and swirl them around so they cool quickly. Drain the leeks, cut them in half, and place them, cut side down, in a single layer on a kitchen towel. This assures that any excess liquid from the cooking and ice bath drains out from the insides of the leeks.

5.    Peel the eggs. Then rinse them under cold water to remove any remaining shell bits. Place them on a flat surface and roughly chop them. Transfer them to a bowl, season lightly with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little of the vinaigrette. Toss with the chopped parsley. Set aside.

6.    Assemble the dish: Place the leeks, cut side up, on a serving platter. Season them lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon the vinaigrette on top of each leek, taking care that the vinaigrette goes into the inside layers of each leek half. Allow them to "marinate" lightly for 10-15 minutes.

7.    Spoon the egg and parsley mixture over the leeks and top with the celery leaves. Top with the breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.