Cooking With Leeks Recipes

BUTTERED LEEKS

Steps:

• The day before you want to serve this dish, cut the leeks from top to root and wash thoroughly under cold running water. Thinly slice them on the diagonal and put into plastic bags and chill until ready to cook.
• To serve, put a large pan over a medium heat, add the butter and let it melt over the base of the pan. Add the leeks and plenty of seasoning and stir to coat in the butter. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan and cook the leeks gently for about 15 minutes, stirring half way through until they are tender. Serve with extra butter and a sprinkling of thyme leaves.

OVEN-ROASTED LEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Lightly oil a medium roasting pan, and brush leeks with 1 tablespoon oil.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast leeks until tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. While roasting, drizzle leeks with broth a few times to keep moist.

BRAISED LEEKS

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, trim most of the roots off the end of the leek, leaving enough so that the leek remains attached at the bottom. Cut each leek lengthwise into halves and then cut each half into inch long pieces. Soak leeks in a large bowl of cool water to allow any dirt to settle to the bottom.
• In a saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks to the skillet. Cook the leeks, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle with thyme and cook one minute more.
• Add stock, reduce heat to medium low. Braise the leeks, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the leeks are very tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

BRAISED LEEKS WITH PARMESAN

Steps:

• Cut the ends and the dark green leaves of the leeks, and cut in half lengthwise. Place in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then run under the faucet to remove any sand that may be lingering in between the layers. Peel off thick outer layers and discard.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet that will accommodate all of the leeks in one layer. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, and cook, shaking the pan and moving them around with tongs, until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the leeks over and cook on the other side until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the leeks back over so that the cut side is down. Peel off the outer layers if they are papery, as they will not soften when the leeks are braised. Pour in the wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, then add enough water or stock to come just to the top of the leeks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the leeks are thoroughly tender when pierced with a knife. Most of the liquid should have evaporated by this time. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
• Transfer the leeks to an oiled ovenproof pan if your skillet cannot go under the broiler. Using tongs, turn the leeks so that the flat side is up. If there is still a lot of liquid in the pan, pour it off. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the leeks. Place under the hot broiler until the cheese has melted and is beginning to color. Remove from the heat and serve.

BUTTERED LEEKS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Trim off and discard the root ends of the leeks. Trim off and discard any dried out or browned ends of the leek greens. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, slice them crosswise into bite-sized pieces. You can use the dark green parts of the leek; chop it all up, just getting rid of any browned or dried ends.
• Put the leeks in a large bowl and cover with cool water. Swish the leeks around to loosen any dirt or grit. If you noticed any large clumps of grit when you were chopping the leeks, now is the time to make sure that they get rinsed off. Let the leeks sit a few minutes for the dirt and grit to settle to the bottom of the bowl.
• In a large frying pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter.
• Lift the leeks out of the water, shaking any excess, and add them to the pan. Do not drain the leeks into a colander, since that will dump the dirt back onto the leeks. Sprinkle the leeks with the salt and stir to combine.
• Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring every 5 minutes or so until the leeks are very tender, 30 to 40 minutes total.
• Take the pan off the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir until the butter is melted into the leeks. Serve hot or warm.

BUTTERED LEEKS

Steps:

• When the leeks are trimmed and washed, cut them all the way through vertically, then chop them into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Now place a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the butter and let it melt - it needs to lightly coat the surface of the pan. Now add the leeks and some seasoning, stir them around, then turn the heat down to low and let them cook gently for about 5 minutes without a lid, stirring them 2 or 3 times. There will be quite a lot of juice that collects in the pan, so use a draining spoon to serve.