I first tasted leek carbonara, or puerro a la carbonara, in Seville, where it appears on many restaurant menus. After doing some research, I found out it’s a very popular dish in Spain, and I wondered why I hadn’t tried it before.
I’ve now made it several times at home because it’s really a tasty and delightful side dish that can also be served as an appetizer. Of course, in Spain, it was listed among the tapas on the menu.
If you like leek, also try my other recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2-3 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 leeks
- 2.6 oz Speck Alto Adige PGI (in a single slice)
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Steps
To prepare the leek carbonara, bring a pot of water to a boil and add salt. Meanwhile, wash the leeks, remove the stem part with the roots, and also the green part. Cut the rest into pieces about 2.5 inches long.
When the water boils, immerse the leek pieces and let them boil gently for 10 minutes until they soften without falling apart.
Meanwhile, remove the rind from the Speck and cut it into small cubes. Brown the speck cubes in a pan without adding fat until they are crispy. Set aside.
Place the egg yolks in a bowl along with the grated parmesan and a generous grind of pepper. Work with a whisk until you get a creamy and homogeneous mixture.
When the leeks are cooked, remove them from the water with the help of tongs and let them drain for a few moments. Then keep them warm.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of the leek cooking water to the egg yolk and parmesan mixture and work it with a whisk for a minute, placing the bowl in the water where you cooked the leeks so that it heats up a bit, but be careful not to overheat it, or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.
Arrange the drained leeks on a plate side by side, then distribute the egg yolk and parmesan mix on top, and finish by sprinkling with the crispy speck cubes.
Serve your leek carbonara immediately.
