Leeks

[Earthmaiden Profile]

I've been considering starting this thread and the one about aliums has spurred me on.

I often read here that people have served leeks as a vegetable, perhaps with a roast or similar. I am interested to know how people cook and serve them.

My mother always poached chunks of leek in milk and made a white sauce with the milk at the end to put them in. We particularly had them with sausages and potatoes. I copied this for years and then learned about baby ones in vinaigrette etc (which don't excite me at all). I use them extensively in soups and casseroles, leek and potato soup being a huge autumnal rite of passage.

Do you serve yours as a stand alone vegetable? How do you cook them?

[WolfGirl Profile]

I occasionally serve leeks as a side vegetable. With a roast I sometimes braise them as the oven is on anyway. I like them quite chunky so cut about two inches long and just add a veg oxo, s&p and water to cover. The liquid can then be added to the gravy or I sometimes blitz it the next day with the leftover vegetables to make an instant soup.
I also like them just sliced into rings and roasted in butter with a drop of olive oil in to stop it burning. One of my favourite vegetables with salmon.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I’ve never really taken to leeks in white sauce, possibly because my mother never did it, so my early experience was canteen slimed leek

But my quick sausage supper requires as the green veg equal volumes of shredded leek and cabbage - almost any kind of cabbage, but pointed spring cabbage and the solid January King/Celtic type are good - steamed together, seasoned and lightly buttered. Yum

[PatsyMFagan Profile]

Although my Dad grew leeks, I can never remember us ever eating them..... that is until I was a young mother living in Portsmouth and my next door neighbour (who has since become one of my best friends) cooked them one day - in a white sauce I recall - and I discovered I loved them. I think they go best with lamb, and with the white sauce converted to an onion one. I can never re-create the taste of the first time I had them I have since asked my friend what how she cooked them and she can't remember ...

[Gruney2 Profile]

My favourite way is "Jamie Oliver's Cheesey Leeks". It's good enough to be the star attraction, but accompanies gammon or smoked mackerel superbly.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

My wife´s recipe for leeks involves frying them gently in butter, until soft, then adding half a tub of cream cheese.
There´s a recipe for "Leeks with wine & Mustard Sauce" from a book by Gail Duff. I like it - they´re baked with an oatmeal crust.
Then there´s Homity Pie, I suppose. A bit heavy, but tasty all the same.
I once watched an episode of Australian Masterchef, with Marco Pierre-White. He made a terrine with leeks and lobster.

[Seatallan Profile]

I slice and then steam them in a very small amount of water, then add butter, salt and pepper and give the pan a good shake.

[scullion Profile]

other than in leek and potato soup and glamorgan sausages, i sometimes add them to cauliflower cheese and sometimes in cheese sauce by themselves.
i also finely slice them for stir-fries - and when making chicken (quorn) noodle soup.

[Pampy Profile]

I've never taken to them as a standalone veg. but I usually put them in macaroni cheese. I soften slices in butter, then add flour to make a roux and carry on making the cheese sauce as usual. If I have any in, I'll add them to a chicken casserole/stew.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Pampy’s macaroni has reminded me

If I want to make edible instant mash I finely shred some leek and soften in butter while measuring the spud and liquid. Add the liquid to the pan, boil, stir in spud and seasoning.

[Suelle Profile Website]

I’ve never really taken to leeks in white sauce, possibly because my mother never did it, so my early experience was canteen slimed leek

But my quick sausage supper requires as the green veg equal volumes of shredded leek and cabbage - almost any kind of cabbage, but pointed spring cabbage and the solid January King/Celtic type are good - steamed together, seasoned and lightly buttered. Yum

One of my favourite ways with leeks and cabbage - I like to add a small proportion of cavolo nero too.

I don't use leeks as a solo side vegetable, but I do like to add them to pasta bakes, cauliflower cheese etc where the base is a cheese sauce, especially if a little bacon is being used too. Onion is too often strong a flavour there, but leeks are just right.

[Gruney2 Profile]

A cheese and leek omelette is really good.

[Seatallan Profile]

I like leeks in omelettes too. I also include them (chopped and softened in butter) with the mash when making topping for Shepherd's Pie.

[Suffs Profile]

To serve leeks as an accompaniment I usually slice them
Into 1cm rings and steam them, then fold them into a thick white sauce made with milk which has been infused with a couple of
bay leaves.

[mistakened Profile]

We had leeks last night, I shred them then braise them in a little butter and seasoning

[aero280 Profile]

Thinly sliced and sautéed, then served as a veg, or added to added to mince as one of the flavours. I have used them as an extra flavour to cauliflower cheese on a couple of occasions.

You can use them as an onion substitute, really.

[MagicMarmite Profile]

I've never done it as Daughter isn't keen and now she no longer lives at home I cook so much less so never think to.

[KeenCook2 Profile]

However we eat leeks, it is usually with lots of nutmeg. Either slowly sauteed in lots of butter or our current favourite, leek quiche.

Having tried various ways of cleaning them I now slit the leek down the middle and fan out the layers to get rid of the grit under a running tap before slicing them across. You don't get nice rings like that, but they're completaly grit free.

[carrotdill Profile]

i saw recipe for using japanese leeks as sausage casing

[Lusciouslush Profile]

I now slit the leek down the middle and fan out the layers to get rid of the grit under a running tap before slicing them across. You don't get nice rings like that, but they're completaly grit free.

That's how I clean them - nothing worse than gritty leeks!