Leek Recipes
Leek Gratin
Ingredients
8 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Halve leeks lengthwise, leaving halves attached at root, and rinse well, shaking off water.
2. In a large skillet, combine cream and leeks; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high; reduce to a medium simmer, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer until leeks are tender, 15 minutes. Transfer leeks and sauce to a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until golden and bubbling, about 35 minutes. Let gratin rest 10 minutes before serving.
Cockaleekie Soup
Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds skinless chicken thighs (on the bone; 4 pieces)
1 1/4 pounds skinless chicken breast halves (on the bone; 3 pieces)
Four 14 1/2-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
2 cups white wine or water
2 large celery ribs, halved crosswise
1 large carrot, peeled
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
6 leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
12 pitted prunes, quartered (2/3 cup packed)
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
1. Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven on medium-high until hot. Add thighs; cook until browned, turning once, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with breasts.
2. Add broth, wine, celery, carrot, and garlic to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; scrape any browned bits from pot; return chicken to pot, reduce heat, and simmer, skimming as necessary, for 1 hour. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool. Transfer vegetables to another plate; reserve.
3. Add leeks, prunes, and barley to broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thick, about 40 minutes more. Once chicken has cooled, shred meat. Finely dice carrot and celery. Stir chicken, carrot, celery, and parsley into soup, heat through, and serve.
Creamed leeks
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
8 medium leeks (about 3 pounds), whites and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut 1 inch thick crosswise, cleaned (see note below)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add wine and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Uncover skillet; increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Add cream; simmer until it has thickened and coats leeks, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Herb & leek tart
Ingredients
Pate Brisee
All-purpose flour, for surface
2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced and rinsed well
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
1/2 cup grated Comte or Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup chopped mixed delicate herbs (such as tarragon, basil, chives, parsley, or chervil)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pate brisee into a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 4 1/2-by-13 3/4-inch rectangular tart pan (available at williams-sonoma.com), leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Fold under overhanging edges, pressing firmly against pan, to double thickness of crust sides. Prick bottom with a fork. Chill in freezer for 30 minutes.
2. Line dough with parchment cut to fit, and top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment, and bake until bottom is golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, saute leeks in butter over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until leeks are just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer leeks to a bowl, and let cool slightly.
4. Add eggs and yolk, cream, creme fraiche, cheese, herbs, and salt to leeks, and stir to combine. Season with pepper. Spoon filling into cooled tart shell. Bake until filling is set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan on wire rack. Remove from pan and cut into squares.
Leek, Pea & Bacon Risotto
Ingredients
2 leeks, white and light-green parts only
12 cups (96 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into strips
2 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup frozen peas (optional)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
1. Halve leeks lengthwise; rinse thoroughly. Pat dry; thinly slice. In a saucepan, bring broth to a simmer over medium. Meanwhile, in a large, straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium, stirring, until lightly browned but not crisp, 5 minutes. Add leeks; cook, stirring, until softened, 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add rice and cook, stirring, until translucent around edges, 1 minute.
2. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until broth is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Repeat process, gradually adding broth, until rice is al dente and risotto is creamy (you may not need all the broth), about 35 minutes. Stir in peas (if using) after the final addition of broth.
3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in Parmesan. Cover and let stand 2 minutes. Season risotto with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Reserve half the risotto (about 4 cups) in refrigerator for risotto cakes. Serve remaining risotto with Parmesan.
