roasted leek and provolone sandwich

Winter, two years ago in new york: thats when we first came up with our roasted leek and provolone sandwich,  which is basically an open-faced sandwich that will surprise most with its roasty attitude and uncommon approach.  olive oil and mustard seeds: heat them up and almost burn a chopped leek in the oil.  apply provolone to the roasted leek and place on toast.  turkey is an optional ingredient for the non-vegetarians.  thats the gist of it, this is one of our beloved recipes and we hereby pass it on to you, glorious individual making your way in the world with peace and a machine gun full of kisses.

august 22, 09... covelo

2 medium or 1 large leek (per sandwich)

1 tablespoon mustard seed

2 tablespoons olive oil

sliced turkey

sliced provolone (let it warm up some,

dont take it from the fridge at the last minute)

big pan or iron skillet

mayonnaise and mustard

cracked pepper

slices of bread

     Start by washing your leeks; slice the roots off and cut the tops off where they start to become woody and brown on the edges.  slice the leek in half lengthwise and wash out all the layers so you don’t get any dirt in your sandwich.  p.s. i never do this.  if you are in a hurry, you can heat up the oil and mustard seed (medium heat) while you wash the leeks.  once the oil is hot and has begun to give off a roasted mustardy aroma, (about a min or 2) chuck in the sliced leek and toss them around in the pan so they are evenly covered in oil.  now toast your bread and have your turkey and provolone slices on hand: once this sandwich is done, it needs to be consumed within minutes to experience the glory. 

When your toast is done, don’t place it on your plate: it will get all moist on the bottom side and thats not cool.  keep the toast in an upright position until its time to assemble the sandwich, which should be only a minute away.  keep tossing the leeks in the pan so they cook evenly.  a note about roasting the leek: roast it, man!  don’t be shy about letting it char a little.  this is what gives this 'sando' its excellent old-town flavor.           

Once you deem the leeks finished, lay out your toast, spread a little mayonnaise and/or mustard on them, put some slices of turkey on top, and spoon out a big helping of roasted leek on the toast (let some of the oil drain off the spoon-fulls before you place them on the toast).  quickly apply the provolone on top of the hot roasted leek and crack some pepper on top of the whole mess.  if your cheese isn’t too cold, it should get pretty melty within a minute or so.  smile at your plates, bring them to the table and fire the starting pistol, its time to eat.