Leeks 101
So far in my domestic adventure, I’ve really only posted things that I am pretty confident about. But, let’s be honest, I have so much to learn. After all, I don’t even know what leeks are.
courtesy of Bon Appetit
This really sunk in last Friday when my friend and neighbor Renee invited me to stop by to pick up some Thanksgiving inspiration. There I was in her warm dining room next to her gorgeous kitchen with her uber-talented son playing his violin in the background. I leafed through the few dozen recipes that Renee had pulled out of her huge super-organized binders (she really has this domestic adventure thing mastered) and admired the fancy ingredients and techniques.
I wondered if she knew just how out of my league I was.
And so, I decided to take control of the situation. I researched leeks. And thanks to Bon Appetit, here is what I found:
What they are: A sweet, mild-flavored member of the onion family looks like a big version of a scallion.
How to prepare them: Slice off the root end and dark-green tops. Halve the leeks lengthwise. Slice them thinly.
How to use ‘em: To flavor quiches, casseroles, stews and soups, among other things.
Something special: Apparently leeks collect a lot of dirt, so you have to wash them extra well.
I feel so much smarter now. Am I the only one who has never cooked with leeks? Please tell me you’re with me.
Nope, I’ve never cooked with them…. ever. I’m not sure that I should be your litmus test, though.
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I’ve never cooked with them. Actually, I’d never really heard of anyone using them until last fall – My husband and I had a Swedish roommate for a few months while she did an internship in the states. She used leeks fairly often… she used to put them in soup and it would smell really good. If you come across any good leek recipes, let us know… I’ve been interested in using them, but haven’t really seen any recipes that uses them!
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Not alone at all… had no clue what they were used for until your little post enlighted me of course!
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Wow, I can actually say I’ve used this! And coming from me, I think it’s pretty impressive b/c I am nothing but a novice in the kitchen. But I was doing a Mother’s day brunch and decided to make a Ham, Swiss and Leek quiche. Yeah, my regular grocery store didn’t even carry these freak veggies. I had to go to a fancy schmancy place and spend too much money. But they were easy to cook with and actually tasted good.
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Erin Reply:
November 17th, 2009 at 9:02 am
I am so glad that you are all with me on this one!
Shannon, your recipe sounds delicious. You might have to share that for all of us leek newbies. I could knock out my first quiche and leek all in one!
-e
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Hi – in Scotland we use leeks a lot. I use them to make soup, you can also make a leek and potatoe pie which is nice.
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Leek and Potatoe Soup
A smooth, creamy vegetable soup full of flavour. Serve with garlic couscous or cheese straws to accompany.
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
225g/8oz potatoes, cubed
2 medium leeks,sliced
1.2 litres/2 pints vegetable stock
150ml/5fl oz double cream or crème fraîche
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, potatoes and leeks. Cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.
2. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Season well and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
3. Whizz with a hand blender or in a blender until smooth. Reheat in a clean pan, stir in the cream or crème Fraîche, heat through and serve.
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Here’s another recipe of the same soup only adding onions as well and no creme fraiche.
Method
Begin by trimming the leeks, discarding the tough outer layer.
Now split them in half lengthways and slice them quite finely, then wash them thoroughly in two or three changes of water.
Drain well. In a large, thick-based saucepan, gently melt the butter, then add the leeks, onions and potatoes, stirring them all round with a wooden spoon so they get a nice coating of butter. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and let the vegetables sweat over a very low heat for about 15 minutes.
After that, add the stock and milk, bring to simmering point, cover and let the soup simmer very gently for a further 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft – if you have the heat too high the milk in it may cause it to boil over.
Now you can put the whole lot into a blender – leave it to cool a little first – and blend to a purée. If you have to blend the soup in batches, make sure you have a bowl to hand to put the first batch into.
Now return the soup to the saucepan and reheat gently, tasting to check the seasoning. Add a swirl of cream or crème fraîche before serving and sprinkle with freshly snipped chives or parsley.
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Erin Reply:
November 17th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Janis,
Thank you so much for stopping by from Scotland and sharing your leek experiences with us! The soup sounds delicious. Oh, and thanks for doing the metric conversions for us.
I think I now have another research project: crème fraîche!
- erin
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Erin – my pleasure – Leek and Potato Soup is lovely – especially after it is all blended which looks like a puree although some people leave out a few potatoes when cooked, chop them up and then add them to the soup if they like a “chunky” soup.
Love from Rainy, Cold Scotland
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I have always wanted to and now, thanks to you, I am going to buy a leek next time I go shopping. I hope I actually use it. Maybe I’ll try Janis’ recipe – but what is double cream? Is that like heavy cream?
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Erin Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I definitely need to research double cream! Maybe Janis will stop back by to help us!
- e
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My wife and I use leeks all the time. We grew them last year in our garden and love to put them in scrambled eggs. I used them instead of scallions in a stir fry yesterday. One thing we learned from growing them ourselves is that they are not as dirty as those you would find in the grocery store. I think it might be because of the process that commercial growers use.
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Easy-Bake Fish with Leeks & Tomatoes
I think I nicked this from a New England cookbook, not sure. Regardless of origin, it’s one of the few ways I can get the Mister to eat some fish…
1 long filet of haddock, pollock, flounder or cod (we like the first two best with this recipe, but all will do very, very nicely)
1 large leek
3-4 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup good white wine
2 tbsp canola or olive oil
your choice of herbs
salt & pepper to taste
* rinse filet well and dry with paper or kitchen towels. salt and pepper lightly. folding thin tail end under, place in a spray-oiled, rectangular, 2″ deep baking dish.
* clean leek, cut off dark green ends. cut in half lengthwise (or, if you’re good with a knife, only cut halfway in to the center, then all the way down the length). cut cross-wise into 1/2-3/4″ slices. put in a large bowl and set aside.
* remove stem knot from tomatoes and chop into 1/2″-3/4″ pieces. add to leeks. toss together with a little more salt & pepper, the herbs and the oil.
* layer the leek & tomato combo over the fish and cover tightly with foil. bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, depending on how thick your filet is (the cod will be a bit longer).
My 2 Cents:
As to the herbs, I have used fines herbes, dried tarragon during the winter from our summer garden, thyme, chervil and just plain parsley. All have been tasty and successful and provide a nice link to a side dish. I like to serve this with simple, steamed and buttered brown rice. The Mister prefers it served with a risotto that I work up while the fish is baking. Quinoa with fennel and mirepoix also does nicely, especially if you use a bit of tarragon in the fish.
Bon Appetit!
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I did it! I finally bought a leek – just one. I AM going to use it this week. I’ll have to find a recipe. wish me luck
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Erin Reply:
January 25th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Anne,
I can’t wait to hear about your leek adventure!
xo,
- e
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