Shrimp and Leek ‘Mimosa’

by

Ingredients

8 leeks
2 eggs
1 shallot
1 teaspoon Meaux mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Pinch of curry
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 pound shrimp, peeled, de-veined, and cooked

Yield: 4 Servings

Recipe

Clean the leeks thoroughly. Trim them, keeping about 2 inches of the green part in addition to the whites, and boil them in salted water for 6 to 10 minutes, until they are cooked but still firm. Drain and set aside. Cook the eggs for 8 minutes in boiling water, then peel, chop, and set aside. Peel and chop the shallot, and place it in a bowl with the mustard, vinegar, curry, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together, then whisk in the oil to make the sauce. Place the shrimp in the center of a serving dish, surrounded by the leeks. Pour the sauce over all, then sprinkle with chopped eggs. Note: This dish is best when served with leeks that are lukewarm. Another version calls for crabmeat instead of shrimp, and in Provence we do this recipe with marinated anchovies. All three ingredients marry really well with leeks. The crabmeat offers the more elegant dish, the anchovies the stronger and more rustic.