Cooking Leeks

Leeks (Allium porrum), belong to the family Alliaceae, along with garlic and onion. Unlike onions, that form a bulb, leeks consist of a cylinder of leaf sheaths. The edible potion of this vegetable is the white base and the light green leaves. Usually, the dark green leaves are not used for cooking, as they have a milder flavor and can be woody in texture. Even though, leeks resemble green onions to some extent, they are more thick, tall and have a much more pronounced flavor. While green onions can be eaten raw, mature leeks has to be cooked before consumption. Cooking helps in making the leeks soft in texture and to lessen strong flavor. Only the very young leaves are used in raw form. However, you have to be a little bit careful, while cooking leaks, as under cooking or overcooking can spoil the dish. This article can help you with some tips for cooking leeks perfectly.

How to Cook Leeks

Leeks are mainly used in soups and broths, but, can also be used in various other food recipes. cooking leeks in soup enhances the flavor of the soup. You can steam, boil, stir fry, bake or roast leeks, as per requirement. Young leek leaves can be chopped into very small slices and can be used in salads. Unlike green onions, leeks have to be cooked carefully, so as to avoid under cooking, which makes it inedible, overcooking, which makes it slimy and mushy and browning, which makes the vegetable tough. As leeks are more solid and crunchy, when compared to green onions, cooking is done to make it softer and milder (in flavor). The following tips are about how to cook leeks in different ways.

Preparing Leeks for Cooking

Now, you know that leeks can be cooked in various ways, like, steaming, boiling, stir frying, etc. You have to purchase fresh leeks and clean it before cooking. Leeks come in bundles of two to four pieces. Go for the thinner ones, as leeks, which are wider than four inches can be tougher. You have to peel off the outer white layer and the discolored leaves. Even the dark green-colored leaves at the top part are also removed. Remove the roots and cut the vegetable through its center (vertically). The next step is to clean it under running water. Slightly pull apart the leaf sheaths, so that the soil inside is removed. Once the vegetable is cleaned, you can cut it as per the requirement. After chopping or slicing, clean it once again, by putting the pieces in a colander and keeping it beneath running water. Read more on how to cut leeks.

Cooking Leeks in Butter

Buttered leeks is one of the popular dishes made of this vegetable. In order to make buttered leeks, you need around 500 grams of leeks, 2½ teaspoons of butter, salt and black pepper. After trimming, the leeks must be around 400 grams in weight. Clean and chop the trimmed leeks into one inch pieces. Turn on the stove and place a frying pan over medium heat. Add butter to the pan and once it melts, put the chopped leeks and seasonings. Stir it for a few minutes and then let the leeks cook for another five to ten minutes. Don't use lid, while cooking leeks, but, make sure to stir it occasionally. You buttered leeks is ready to serve. Now, you know about cooking leeks in butter. Let us take a look at how to cook leeks in oven.

How to Cook Leeks in Oven

You can bake or roast leeks in oven. Clean the leeks and keep them in boiling water for eight to ten minutes. Drain the leeks and keep aside. Now, melt butter (one ounce) in another pan and add two tablespoons of flour and mix well. Once the butter and flour combine in an even manner, add one tablespoon of grated cheese, half-pint of stock and salt and pepper (as per requirement). Stir well and boil the mixture for around four to five minutes. Now, arrange the leeks on a baking dish and pour half of the prepared sauce over it. Add more grated cheese and sprinkle some cayenne pepper too. Keep the baking dish in the pre-heated oven and bake till the contents get a golden brown color. You can remove the dish and pour the remaining sauce, before serving.

If you want to know about cooking leeks in microwave, the following tips may help you. Take a microwave dish and add some water (around two teaspoons) and cook for about five to seven minutes on high. Make sure to stir the leeks once or twice. You can steam leeks in a steamer basket too. In case of whole leeks, it will take around fifteen to twenty minutes (for steaming), whereas sliced ones need only five minutes. For cooking leaks in soups, fry the sliced leeks using butter, for around ten minutes, before adding any other ingredients. Stir the leeks constantly to prevent browning. Once, the leeks become tender, add other ingredients and cook well. Some people add the ingredients, like the sliced leeks and potatoes together and fry them for making soups.

Now, you have a basic idea about cooking leeks. Leeks are very rich in nutrients and contain fair amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, etc. So, try leek recipes and reap its health benefits.