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Leeks

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Re: Leeks

Postby Lokelani » Sun Mar 14, 2021 6:37 pm

As a stand alone veg I usually braise them in a little chicken stock with parmesan grated over. I sometimes do half leek, half thinly cut fennel together in this way. I tend to always keep leeks in as they last so long in the fridge & I use them in so many things.

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Re: Leeks

Postby Sloe-Gin » Sun Mar 14, 2021 7:24 pm

One of our favourites too!
I either chop them lengthwise, then in half and braise in stock, or fold them into a cheese sauce.
Another way is to fry gently in butter with garlic, spring cabbage, chunks of good pancetta and caraway seeds.
I also make chicken in cider with leeks, pancetta, mushrooms and tarragon.

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Re: Leeks

Postby Suffs » Sun Mar 14, 2021 7:41 pm

If you slice them into rings then poke them through you can give them a good soak to remove grit. It works.

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Re: Leeks

Postby KeenCook2 » Sun Mar 14, 2021 8:24 pm

Suffs wrote:If you slice them into rings then poke them through you can give them a good soak to remove grit. It works.

Ah, I hadn't thought of soaking them. Next time I want perfect rings I'll try that :thumbsup

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Re: Leeks

Postby Pampy » Mon Mar 15, 2021 12:45 am

That's what I do Suffs - works every time.

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Re: Leeks

Postby Amber » Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:24 am

I gently fry slices of leek (sometimes with celery) in butter then braise in small amounts of stock until done.

Or, as my MIL used to do, braise leeks and celery in milk, thicken, and top with cheesy breadcrumbs. My kind of veg, so easy to prep in advance, and reheat.l :thumbsup

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Re: Leeks

Postby karadekoolaid » Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:25 am

KC2 just reminded me that leeks go really well in a quiche. Either with roasted peppers, or with piles of bacon and cheese.

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Re: Leeks

Postby Badger's Mate » Mon Mar 15, 2021 11:07 am

We have them as a side dish, sliced and lightly cooked with butter. They're good in stir fries. Thickly sliced chunks of leek, with red pepper and black bean sauce is particularly nice. Cooked leeks are good in bubble and squeak, raw ones added to mash. We often add them to cheesy sauces for use with macaroni or colly. Cooked leek, wrapped in ham, covered in cheese sauce and baked is a staple of leftover cookery in this house, or at least was, in the days when the outlaws came over and didn't eat all the ham. Maybe they will again one day. Bacon/ham and leek is a pretty classic combo that works well with pasta, or as a topping for pizza or pastry or indded in a steamed pud, hotpot or pie.

There's a recipe in the original BBC Ken Hom book for cold spiced Chinese leaves, blanched and marinated in a mixture of sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger, Sichuan pepper & chilli. The marinade works really well with blanched leeks, too.

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Re: Leeks

Postby PatsyMFagan » Mon Mar 15, 2021 11:24 am

BM, can you give quantities for the marinade please :thumbsup

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Re: Leeks

Postby Badger's Mate » Mon Mar 15, 2021 12:11 pm

The original recipe was for a whole Chinese cabbage, or a pound and a half of the stuff.

The ratios aren't that crucial. Cider vinegar:sugar 3:2. so 150ml vinegar and 100g sugar, or dilute the vinegar a bit and use less sugar. 1tbsp sesame oil. You can also add more of a neutral oil, the original used 75 ml peanut in addition to the sesame, I sometimes use rapeseed or sunflower, sometimes just sesame. I'd use a couple of tablespoons each of Sichuan peppercorns, chopped ginger, chopped garlic, a couple of teaspoons of salt and a couple of dried chillies. Dry roast the peppercorns in a pan, add the oil(s) and the chillies and fry them a little. Allow to cool and mix with the vinegar, sugar and salt. Put the blanched veg, ginger and garlic in a bowl, pour the rest over, mix and leave overnight. Keep in the fridge thereafter. I often make it with Chinese cabbage then marinade leeks in the residual liquid after the cabbage is eaten, but it also works well made directly with leeks. You could marinate it with the peppercorns into a muslin bag or tea strainer for more elegant eating I suppose, or just spit them out as you go along :D

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Re: Leeks

Postby Earthmaiden » Mon Mar 15, 2021 12:33 pm

What an insight into what you all do with leeks! I really thought I was missing out on some special way of cooking them in large pieces to serve as a vegetable with a meal (ie. steamed or something) but it seems that slicing and sauteeing or adding sauce is the basic way for most along with cold marinades. Interesting ways there BM. My grandmother used to do the ham and cheese sauce thing with chicory.

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Re: Leeks

Postby Gruney2 » Mon Mar 15, 2021 12:37 pm

Google Nigella Lawson's "Italian Chicken" - leeks are used with red peppers, as roasted vegetables.

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Re: Leeks

Postby Amyw » Tue Mar 16, 2021 6:36 pm

I've made that chicken,very nice it is too. I agree lovely in macaroni cheese or just cooked in a little butter, maybe a glass ful of white wine,copious amounts of cheese and stirred through pasta

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