Leek, egg and corn salad Recipe
Leek, egg and corn salad is a quick homemade salad that often appears at Polish parties and holidays alongside traditional vegetable salad. It is crunchy, slightly sharp from the leek and creamy thanks to the mayonnaise. You can compare it to simple sandwich-style salads from American cuisine, but with a distinct leek flavour.
This salad combines the crunch and gentle heat of leek with the creaminess of eggs and mayonnaise and the sweetness of corn, creating a simple but very moreish flavour. It is quick to make, uses everyday ingredients and is versatile enough for parties, family dinners or sandwiches.
Chef's tips
Slice the leek as thinly as possible and don’t skip the step of scalding it with hot water – this removes excess sharpness while keeping the crunch. Adjust the ratio of mayonnaise to yoghurt to suit your taste: more mayonnaise for a richer salad, more yoghurt for a lighter one.
How to serve
Serve well chilled, in a large bowl for sharing or in small individual bowls at parties. It’s excellent on slices of crusty bread or in soft rolls as a sandwich filling. You can also serve it alongside cold meats, roasted poultry or as part of a buffet table.
Ingredients
- leek (white and light green part) medium - 1 piece
- eggs hard-boiled - 4 pieces
- canned sweetcorn about 285 g gross weight - 1 can
- cooked or poultry ham in a piece or slices - 150 g
- mayonnaise - 4 tablespoons
- yoghurt for a lighter version - 2 tablespoons
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- chives chopped, optional - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Place the eggs in a pot with cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 8–9 minutes from the moment the water starts boiling. Then pour over cold water and cool. Peel off the shells.
- Clean the leek, cutting off the dark green parts. Cut it in half lengthwise and rinse thoroughly under running water between the layers to remove any sand.
- Slice the leek into very thin half-moons. Transfer to a bowl, pour over hot water, stir and leave for 5 minutes to mellow the sharp flavour.
- After 5 minutes, drain the leek in a sieve and squeeze out excess water well.
- Drain the corn in a sieve.
- Cut the ham into small cubes. Cut or chop the eggs into cubes.
- Place the leek, eggs, corn and ham in a large bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise and yoghurt. Gently mix until everything is combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, sprinkle with chopped chives and toss lightly once more.
- Refrigerate the salad for at least 20–30 minutes so the flavours can meld.
Storage
Sałatkę przechowuj w lodówce w szczelnym pojemniku do 2 dni. Przed podaniem zamieszaj, bo sos może się lekko rozwarstwić.
