Recipe Braised Leeks

I have a friend who hooks me up with the throwaway produce at a local grocery store, and it seems like I always wind up with a bunch of leeks. People around here have no idea what to do with them so the store throws a lot out. I did this tonight and it turned out pretty good.

This is for 2 people

1 leek
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
dried or fresh parsley
coarse salt and pepper

Slice leek lengthwise, rinse well to get dirt from between layers. Cut off root end, and ratty green ends. Put chicken broth in skillet, bring to boil, then lay leek halves in the pan. Cover and simmer for 8 minutes, turn leeks over, cover and simmer another 8 minutes or until you can easily pierce the end with a knife. Remove and put on plate. Uncover skillet and lightly boil the chicken broth for about 10 minutes to reduce it down a bit, then toss in the tablespoon of butter. Remove from heat, swirl around to melt. Add in salt and pepper to taste (pinch of each for me) and about twice that much in dried or fresh parsley. Mix it in well, then spoon over the leeks and serve.

Did that with a broiled pork loin (last one from the two hogs we butchered in 2010) and the last of a .99 cent roll of french bread topped with shredded parmigiana.

 

Leek sliced into rounds make a good substitute for onions of you don't have any onions about...they are good in soups, casseroles and as a filler in pies....particularly chicken and leek pie.

The leek is a national icon for the Welsh...so....on St David's Day...wear a leek.



Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan celebrating St David's Day!

 

We have wild leeks around here. They are allot stonger and smaller than the store bought leeks. We use the entire thing (greens and all) and dice them up to fry with eggs, potatoes or steak.

Jason

 

Sounds good ditchwith. I also use the green tops in place of lettuce on my sandwiches and burgers - but then again I don't mind having onion breath!

 

I made potato and leek soup the other day. Peeled, diced potatoes cooked down in chicken stock, rough chopped up some bacon and cooked, then sauteed the leeks in the bacon grease. Added that plus some half n half to the potatos, threw in some shredded cheese. Pretty good!