Angela Hartnett's Leek and Egg Salad Recipe

Perfect for vegetarians, this classic and simple dish is particularly satisfying in spring.
I first had this dish in a small, quiet local restaurant and absolutely loved it. It's wonderful at this time of year and you can add capers and dill for a change. The key to great flavour is to serve it at room temperature.(Serves 2-3)
4 medium free-range eggs
4 large leeks, thoroughly washed
100ml olive oil
25ml red wine vinegar
2tsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly milled pepperPlace the eggs in a pan of boiling water, cook for eight minutes, drain and refresh in cold water.Soak the leeks in cold water to wash and then cut them two-thirds down, leaving the white and half of the green stems. Discard any coarse outer strips from the remaining stems, keeping only the tender inner green strips.Bring some water to the boil in another pan and cook the whole leeks for 15 minutes until tender, remove and refresh in cold water then slice them into rounds. Cook the loose strips for four minutes, drain and refresh to keep them nice and green - squeeze any excess water off.Beat the oil, vinegar and mustard until emulsified, chop the boiled eggs - it's fine if the yolks are slightly runny - and mix together with the leek rounds and strips.Season with freshly milled salt and pepper and serve at room temperature with some crusty bread to mop up the eggs and vinaigrette.• Angela Hartnett is chef patron at Murano restaurant and consults at the Whitechapel Gallery and Dining Room, London. Twitter.com/angelahartnett
Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian