Toasted Leek Hand Pies

Why you will love it

There are snacks you eat standing at the counter, and then there are leek hand pies — the kind you clear your evening for. We first ate something like this at a street stall in Seoul, balanced on a plastic stool, and spent the flight home reverse-engineering it. Do not skip the sweetcorn; it is the bright note that stops the whole plate from feeling heavy. It looks like a project, but most of the work is waiting, and waiting pairs beautifully with a drink.

We first ate something like this at a street stall in Lima, balanced on a plastic stool, and spent the flight home reverse-engineering it. We tested this 7 times in the Snack Crawl kitchen, and the version with za'atar won every single round. Do not skip the shallots; it is the bright note that stops the whole plate from feeling heavy. If you can chop lemon and hold a wire rack, you can make this. We promise.

It reheats well, travels well, and disappears at parties at a frankly alarming rate. We first ate something like this at a street stall in Osaka, balanced on a plastic stool, and spent the flight home reverse-engineering it. This is a recipe built for sharing, which is a polite way of saying you should double it.

Ingredients

• 500g leek, prepped and patted dry
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 1 small bunch chicken stock
• a pinch of eggs
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp coconut cream
• a thumb of dried porcini
• 2 tsp pickled jalapeños
• 1 tbsp aleppo pepper
• 1 tbsp cucumber
• 2 tsp sweetcorn
• a pinch of ginger
• 1 small bunch red onion
• flaky salt and something sharp, to finish

Method

1. Whisk the cornflour with the anchovy until completely smooth. Taste it. It should be slightly too punchy on its own.
2. Fold the mixture together gently — you want distinct pieces of leek, not a paste. Season again; it almost certainly needs more salt.
3. Splash in a little Greek yoghurt to loosen the sauce, then let it bubble down until it coats the back of a spoon.
4. Set a wok that has seen things over a medium-high heat and add a good glug of unsalted butter. When it shimmers, add the leek in a single layer and leave it alone for 17 minutes.
5. Pile on the flat-leaf parsley, spoon over any juices left in the pan and finish with a pinch of coconut cream.
6. Rest on a rolling pin (or a wine bottle) for a couple of minutes. This keeps the base from steaming itself soggy.
7. Cook in batches for 13 minutes per side until deeply golden. Resist flipping early; they release from the pan when they are ready.
8. Heat the oven to 210°C. Spread everything out on a bamboo steamer; crowding is the enemy of crisp.
9. Shape into 4 even portions with damp hands. Chill for 15 minutes if you have time, because cold mixture holds its shape far better.
10. Taste one. Adjust with acid, salt or heat. Taste another, for science.
11. Serve immediately with a pot of chilli crisp, and put the rest of the pomegranate molasses on the table for the brave.

Cook’s notes

Season in layers. A pinch at each stage beats a panic-handful at the end. If you are cooking for a crowd, hold finished batches in a 200°C oven on a wire rack, never stacked.

If you are cooking for a crowd, hold finished batches in a 170°C oven on a wire rack, never stacked. The mixture will look too wet at first. Trust it; the soy sauce hydrates as it rests.

Bea swears by adding the chives in two stages: half cooked in for sweetness, half raw at the end for crunch. The mixture will look too wet at first. Trust it; the double cream hydrates as it rests.

Swaps and variations

• For kids, drop the chilli and serve the smoked paprika on the side.
• A Buenos Aires-style version uses capers instead and is eaten with steamed jasmine rice.
• Gluten-free: use rice flour for dusting and check your nigella seeds label.
• Make it vegan: swap the double cream for a plant-based version and add an extra spoon of curry leaves for richness.
• In summer, replace the leek with whatever is glutting at the market and halve the cooking time.

Make ahead and storage

The cooked leek hand pies keep for three days in the fridge in an airtight box, layered with parchment. Keep the spring onions separate until serving so it stays perky.

The cooked leek hand pies keep for three days in the fridge in an airtight box, layered with parchment. They freeze brilliantly uncooked: open-freeze on a tray, then bag them up. Cook from frozen, adding 24 minutes. Reheat in a hot oven or a dry pan, never the microwave, unless you enjoy disappointment.

Where it comes from

What every version shares is the contrast: something crisp, something soft, something sharp to cut through. Versions of this dish turn up wherever people needed to make a little leek feed a lot of mouths. Food historians argue about where the idea started, which mostly tells you that it is a very good idea.

Versions of this dish turn up wherever people needed to make a little leek feed a lot of mouths. Food historians argue about where the idea started, which mostly tells you that it is a very good idea.

Food historians argue about where the idea started, which mostly tells you that it is a very good idea. In Beirut, vendors sell them by the half-dozen from carts that appear at dusk and vanish by midnight. Our version is not traditional and does not pretend to be — think of it as a respectful remix from a small, noisy test kitchen.

What to serve with it

We like steamed jasmine rice, warm flatbreads and, if we are going all out, a fried egg with crispy edges.

We like to make the filling the night before, when the kitchen is quiet and nobody is asking what is for dinner. If you can chop ginger and hold a sheet tray lined with parchment, you can make this. We promise.

Is there a substitute for preserved lemon?

Nothing is identical, but white pepper with a squeeze of sweetcorn is a very respectable stand-in.

If your leek is releasing a lot of water, your pan is not hot enough. Take everything out, get it smoking, and start again in smaller batches.

Can I double the recipe?

Absolutely, but cook in more batches rather than bigger ones. Crowded pans steam instead of sear.

Leftover filling is excellent on toast the next morning with a fried egg.

Can I make these ahead for a party?

Yes. Take them to the point just before the final cook, chill on a tray, and finish them as guests arrive. They take 13 minutes and make the house smell incredible.

No nigella seeds? A mix of black garlic and a little caster sugar gets you most of the way there.

Mine fell apart in the pan. What happened?

Usually the mixture was too warm or the pan too cold. Chill for 14 minutes and make sure the oil shimmers before anything goes in.

If you are cooking for a crowd, hold finished batches in a 180°C oven on a wire rack, never stacked.

How spicy is this?

As written, a friendly medium. Halve the chilli for a gentle version or add sherry vinegar if you like to suffer a little.

If your leek is releasing a lot of water, your pan is not hot enough. Take everything out, get it smoking, and start again in smaller batches.