Egg and Leeks on Toast Recipe (Super Easy Guide to Leeks)

Name: Egg and Leeks on Toast Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 1 medium leek; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced; 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt; 2 fresh eggs; 2 slices of toast, ideally sourdough; Vegetable/canola oil; Salt (to taste); 1/2 lemon juice; 1 tsp smoked paprika; Black pepper; Sriracha mayo

This post is part of the Eating on a Budget series, which includes the essential tools, tricks and tips that underpin eating on a budget, and a collection of recipes to put those tools into practice.

Leeks are one of those vegetables that I love but for whatever strange reason, I rarely buy them.

I always have onions and garlic on hand, and leeks seem to fall by the wayside as a result.

That’s a massive shame, because leeks are a distinct and delicious vegetable in their own right (more on what leeks actually are later).

So that’s why I’m digging up this delicious egg and leek on toast recipe that I worked on a few years ago for a YouTube video.

This recipe is also available as a video.

In this post, I’ve shared the egg and leeks on toast recipe, alongside an easy guide to leeks, which covers:

what leeks are
how to cut/chop and clean leeks
how to substitute them for other ingredients if you don’t have any on hand

A guide to leeks: what are they?

Leeks are vegetables in the allium genus. That’s the same family that also contains onions, shallots, spring onions (green onions, scallions) and garlic.

That’s why leeks have that onion-like aroma and taste, and also a little of that garlic-like pungency.

Guide to leeks: How to chop leeks, leeks sliced into half moons — The “stem” of a leek, partly sliced.

They’re used less commonly than onions and garlic, probably because they’re much larger and harder to discreetly incorporate into dishes the same way you can with onion and garlic.

They’re also likely used less because they’re generally more expensive. They’re still relatively cheap, but they’re not as cheap as onions and garlic.

How to cut / chop leeks

A leek is a tightly-knit bundle of leaves.

The lower half of the leek is often mistaken for a stem (often by me), but is in fact a bundle of leaf sheaths that are extremely tightly bound.

Leeks at the supermarket are generally sold with their leaves trimmed at the top.

The bottom, tightly bound half of the leek is the desirable part that is often called for in recipes.

Everything above where the leaves turn green and begin to fan out is generally considered waste. In a professional kitchen, these fibrous leaves are tossed in the compost.

But that doesn’t mean that they can’t be eaten, or that they’re not delicious. In fact, I think the green leaves of the leek are almost as delicious as the base, though they tend to have a firmer texture.

Leek green leaves sliced — The “leaves” of the leek, partly sliced.

To cut the leek:

Cut off the root stem. Discard the root.
Cut the leek in half where the leaves begin fanning out. This is roughly the half-way point. Discard (or if you intend to use it, prepare it exactly as you prepare the tightly bound half in steps 3 and 4).
Cut the remaining leek in half length-wise. Wash the leek under cold running water to remove any dirt inside the leaves. Drain into a colander. If you want small pieces of leek, you can also cut the leek into quarters.
Slice the leek into half or quarter moon discs. Depending on whether you halves or quartered the leek, slice to your desired thickness.

How to clean leeks

Leeks are notorious for having dirt not only on the outside, but also tucked away inside between their leaves. Remember, a leek is very similar to an onion — it has layers too!

Leeks are super easy to clean, thankfully:

Cut off the root and flowering head.
Cut the leek in half or quarter strips.
Rinse under cold running water. Drain into a colander.

Substitues for leeks

Though this is a guide to leeks, you may find yourself without leeks on hand. Don’t worry, you can still use this recipe.

As per the NYTimes article on the topic, because they’re all alliums, “leeks, onions (red, white or yellow), scallions, shallots and spring onions are largely interchangeable.”

If size isn’t important, leeks can be used instead of onion and garlic in almost every situation. For example, as the base of a dish in a mirepoix or soffritto, in a curry or stew or even in a cheese and onion sandwich.

On the other hand, if you haven’t got leeks, you can generally opt for onions and garlic to replace the flavour of the leeks, but you may have to be mindful of how much onion and garlic you use.

I’ve noticed in other guides to leeks that a 1:1 ratio of onion/garlic to leek is often recommended.

However, I find onion and garlic are generally more potent than leeks, so if you try to do a 1:1 replacement of onion/garlic to leek, the flavours may be too intense.

I’d recommend a 2:1 replacement of leek to onion/garlic. If the recipe calls for 100g onion, use 200g leek. If the recipe calls for 200g leek, use 100g onion. You get the idea.

This substitution ratio would work in this egg and leeks on toast recipe.

How to poach eggs

Poaching eggs is a skill that I have always struggled to get right.

The general process is simple enough:

Bring water to the boil (or simmer)
Crack in the egg
Wait for the egg to cook
Remove the egg, serve

But it’s never that simple. Among other challenges, the main issue is that the egg yolk and whites often split apart and get scattered in the water.

That being said, I do know a few tricks to increase the chances of success:

Find the freshest eggs. The fresher the egg, the less runny the whites are, which means you’re more likely to get a stable poached egg that sticks together.
Cook at a boil, not a simmer. When I first tried to cook eggs, I tried to cook at a simmer. But I’ve since had better success with a full boil.
Create a whirlpool in the water. Before cracking the eggs in, stir the water vigorously with a fork to create a small whirlpool. This will help force the egg yolk and whites to stay together.