Cooking with British leeks: Wrexham Bake

Please note: all the ingredients to make the Wrexham Bake were received free of charge, but this in no way impacted on our opinion. We were not obliged to write a positive review, and the brand did not see this review before it was put up on the site.

Wales is synonymous with leeks: these green, leafy vegetables are one of the country’s national symbols. And nobody is 100% certain why. Legend has it that St. David – the country’s patron saint, who died in 589 AD – ordered his soldiers to wear leeks on their helmets when battling Saxon invaders. However, the association of Wales with leeks could date back further still, back to the times of Anglesey’s druids who used the humble leek to cure all manner of illnesses.

So it’s fitting, on March 1st – St. David’s Day – to share a leek-based recipe, created by the British Leek Growers Association, that we recently enjoyed.

When it comes to leeks, I’m slightly guilty of sticking with the same tried and tested recipes. I’ll fry them off to enjoy alongside a cooked breakfast, or I’ll slice them and add them into risottos or pasta dishes. I chuck them in stews, or I stir through ricotta and mustard powder once fried off, to make a slightly healthier version of creamy leeks to serve as a side dish as part of a Sunday roast.

The British Leeks website, though, has tons of ideas, from savoury flapjacks and salads to pies and pasta dishes – I’ve bookmarked quite a few I want to try! But with a combination of miserable weather and a demanding toddler meaning I needed something that was easy to make midweek, I opted for the Wrexham Bake.

You’ll find the full recipe here. Essentially, it involves wrapping sausages in streaky bacon and browning them off in a pan, before using the same pan to sweat plenty of sliced leeks. You then add chopped tomatoes and peeled and diced cooking apples to the same pan, along with some dried herbs, and mix well, before transferring the mixture to an ovenproof dish, topping with the sausages and cooking for 35-40 minutes.

As the recipe recommended, I served the Wrexham Bake with a mountain of buttery mashed potato for the ultimate comfort meal. And while the recipe may have been simple, it was pretty damn tasty: the combination of sausages, leeks and apple is always a winner, and the streaky bacon added a lovely saltiness that was the perfect foil for the sweetness of the cooked apple.

I’ll definitely be making this British Leeks recipe again – I just think I’ll cut the apples slightly larger next time. With 40 minutes in the oven, they near enough disintegrated in the dish by the time it was done, But I do love an all-in-one meal – it’s handy to be able to bung stuff together in one dish and leave it to cook by itself when you’re short of time!

If this recipe appeals – or if you’re looking for more ways to use leeks, head to the British Leeks website. You’ll be spoilt for choice!