Creamed Leeks Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay cook leeks? ›

Season leeks with soy, maple, sesame oil, and mirin. Top with sliced garlic and a few knobs of butter around the outside of the pan. Add just enough stock to cover leeks halfway, bring to a boil and pop into over to roast until caramelized and tender when pierced with a knife.

If you want to use reduced fat cream, substitute the single cream with crème fraiche. Finely slice the onion and fry in a pan with a knob of butter until translucent. Add finely diced garlic and fry for a further three minutes. Slice the leeks at an angle that are about an inch long.

Most recipes call for the white and pale green parts of leeks, but the dark outer greens are equally delicious in stews, sautés, and pasta and grain dishes. In French cuisine, leek leaves are used to season broths, soups, and stews as part of a bouquet garni.

We traditionally trim the green tops off leeks and throw them away, but the thick leaves are perfectly edible and have just as much if not more flavour than the milder, pale end. Often referred to as a super food, leeks are high in flavonoids, vitamins A, E and K, and fibre.

Arrange the leeks in one layer in a baking tray or earthenware dish and roast in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until golden and almost caramelized. Keep your eye on them – I've seen many chefs burn baby leeks when cooking them this way!

To be properly cleaned before cooking, leeks must be topped and tailed (roots discarded, dark-green parts removed), and the white and light-green parts sliced thin and left to swim in a water bath so as to encourage the removal of any clinging dirt.

Many recipes for leek soup call for just the white part of the leek, probably to keep the soup a paler colour, but the greens have just as much, if not more, flavour, and colour the soup a brilliant light green.

Technically, creaming means mixing butter and sugar together on a moderately high speed until well blended, fluffy and pale yellow. It's often the first step in a cookie or cake recipe and forms the base to which other ingredients are added.

However, if you're looking for an alternative ingredient to help you create lighter meals without sacrificing the characteristic richness that comes from heavy cream, you can substitute it with the combination of three simple staples; butter, flour, and broth.

Leeks in particular have a wonderful flavor that is quite mild which makes them lovely to pair with simple veggies in the spring like asparagus and peas, and heartier veggies in the fall like winter squash and potatoes.

How do the French eat leeks? ›

While the French use them all over the place, from the “French Women Don't Get Fat” soup to potato-leek soup to leek-and-whatever quiche and leek-and-whatever omelettes and leeks with vinaigrette and leeks gratin, I had them once in a restaurant here in France without any fuss, really just leeks, and they were awesome.

Leeks are rich in flavonoids, especially one called kaempferol. Flavonoids are antioxidants and may have anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anticancer properties, as well as other health benefits. Definite proof of these health benefits of leeks will depend upon future studies with humans.

Avoid leeks with cuts or bruises. The dark green tops of leeks should look fresh. Avoid leeks with yellowing or wilting tops. Choose smaller, younger leeks when you want to eat them uncooked.

Interesting Tidbits: POISONOUS PARTS: All parts but causes only low toxicity if eaten; can be safely eaten in small amounts, large quantities not recommended.

In terms of what's good for you, both leeks and green onions have tons of vitamins and nutrients, but overall, leeks are more nutrient dense, with more fiber, and much more of manganese, Vitamin K, Beta Carotene & Iron.

To cook: Leeks can be boiled, braised or steamed. Sliced leeks should be cooked for 5-7 minutes until tender but still firm. Whole small leeks should be cooked for 10-15 minutes until tender but still firm, top with a cheese sauce and then brown under a preheated grill for 5 minutes or until golden.

Leeks are the mildest of the onion family and really shine when they're cooked, offering a lovely subtlety to dishes and a delicate, melty texture. Typically, the white and light green parts are consumed, while the dark green tops are left out, being full of fibers and hard to chew.

Leeks are sweeter and milder than onions and can be eaten raw. If cooking, wash before steaming, boiling, or pan-frying. Any recipe that calls for onions can be easily replaced by leeks.