How To Prepare Leeks?

[Velocivixen]

My DH came home from our garden plot with some leeks he planted, and I don't know what to do with them. Don't want potato-leek soup. Any ideas? I've never had a leek before.

[Kimmyt]

Just use them like you would onions, they have such a lovely mellow flavor!

I make a pie with leeks and chicken in it that is really tasty.

K.

[Becky]

Pizza! The Moosewood Low-Fat cookbook has a really delicious leek and feta pizza recipe in it. As I recall, the leeks are sauteed with basil and spread on top of the crust before baking.

Google turns up a lot of pizza recipes, but not the one I'm thinking of... A bunch of them look really good too!

[Velocivixen]

Hey thanks for the quick replies. I was thinking about sauteeing them in olive oil with crushed garlic? Sounds like I could throw them on a salad or something similar.

[Norse]

Hey thanks for the quick replies. I was thinking about sauteeing them in olive oil with crushed garlic? Sounds like I could throw them on a salad or something similar.

That sounds good, perhaps throw in a little crushed red pepper with the olive oil before adding the leeks and garlic. My favorite leek dish involves sauteeing them with garlic and chicken stock, then adding fresh thyme, sauteed cut up chicken breast and a pat of butter for the finish and then serving over an egg noodle, or lemon-pepper pasta.

[tulip]

I adore leeks! They take so long to grow in the garden, but they are so worth it to me. Mine are getting to harvest size, and I planted them last July or August...whew! I have 74 that made it through the winter, so I will soon be eating alot of leeks.

I like them in omelettes (sautee first) and all sorts of soups. I will have to try them on pizza--that sounds divine!

Use the white parts and just a bit of the light green parts. Be sure to wash them very thoroughly because the fans hold dirt. If you soak them for an hour, that usually floats all the dirt up. Or you can split them and take the layers apart.

Toss the green parts in your compost--your garden will thank you for it.

[tulip]

My favorite leek dish involves sauteeing them with garlic and chicken stock, then adding fresh thyme, sauteed cut up chicken breast and a pat of butter for the finish and then serving over an egg noodle, or lemon-pepper pasta.

Oh my goodness that sounds good!

[Norse]

That sounds good, perhaps throw in a little crushed red pepper with the olive oil before adding the leeks and garlic. My favorite leek dish involves sauteeing them with garlic and chicken stock, then adding fresh thyme, sauteed cut up chicken breast and a pat of butter for the finish and then serving over an egg noodle, or lemon-pepper pasta.

Oh my goodness, I forgot a very important ingredient! After the leeks and garlic have sauteed in olive oil until they start to soften a little, and before I add the chicken stock, I deglaze with a little dry white wine to add a punch of acidity. Bon appetit!

[Velocivixen]

@Norsegoddess, I've written it down! So would you sautee the chicken first, remove from pan, then saute the leeks with chicken broth, oil, garlic, pepper flakes & thyme a bit, then add the chicken back in? I have all the ingredients for this! Sounds delicious.

@tulip, thanks for the omelette advice. My DH already removed all the outer, green long "fronds" and put them in the yard debris barrel. Okay, I'll slice them in half long ways and soak.
Now I'm actually excited!

[MomOnBike]

If leeks you like, but do their smell dislike,
Eat onion and you shall not smell the leek.
If of onion you would the smell dispell,
Eat garlic. That will kill the onion's smell!

(origin unknown)

[Norse]

@Norsegoddess, I've written it down! So would you sautee the chicken first, remove from pan, then saute the leeks with chicken broth, oil, garlic, pepper flakes & thyme a bit, then add the chicken back in? I have all the ingredients for this! Sounds delicious.

@tulip, thanks for the omelette advice. My DH already removed all the outer, green long "fronds" and put them in the yard debris barrel. Okay, I'll slice them in half long ways and soak.
Now I'm actually excited!

Yes, sautee the chicken first until mostly cooked and set aside, keep warm. Add a little more olive oil to the pan and then sautee the sliced leeks - I add the minced garlic after a few minutes have passed as otherwise the garlic will burn. After they have started to soften, add about 1/4 cup of white wine and turn heat up to deglaze, then add stock and thyme (I don't use red pepper in this dish) and reduce heat and simmer until stock reduces a little; add chicken back in with accumulated juices and pat of butter. Salt and pepper as you go. Toss it all with the pasta and serve. I like to add a little freshly grated parmesean on top too.

[NbyNW]

DH like to slice them up, toss them with whatever root vegetables we have (carrots, potatoes, beets, parsnips, anything really!) with a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper, pop in oven and roast the heck out of everything.

If you're feeling really dangerous you can toss them with whatever pan juices come off of the meat of the day and stir in a little cream.

[Bike Writer]

Leeks are yummy. I have two recipies below. Beware both are high in fat if prepared according to recipie, however substitutions can make it more health-friendly. One is for a Fennel Leek Potato Cassarole and the other is for a Wild Mushroom and Leek soup

Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup
Ingredients
• 5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
• 5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (I usually omit and add more leeks)
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.
Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Fennel, Potato and Leek Bake
Ingredients
• 2 small fennel bulbs
• 3 fresh leeks rinsed well
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (1/2 pound)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.
Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.
Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well.
Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

These are from the Barefoot Contessa on the food tv channel

[shootingstar]

Dearie makes a soup or we use them like onions.
Consider them as a great opportunity to make a vegetable stock with other veggies.

The other option is to add them to omelet with mushrooms and garlic.

[withm]

I made an asparagus quiche the other day with 2 or 3 shallots. No reason you couldn't use a leek instead of the shallots.

Just make sure to wash them thoroughly. Slice the leek in half lengthwise. Fan out or completely separate each leaf, and make sure to get all the dirt out from between the leaves. Then I sort of nest them back together, and slice very thin and proceed with my recipe.

Leeks are milder than regular onions.