Leek

cheese-mike, Sep 6, 12:00am
i was given a leek and have never cooked it before, any ideas what to do with it? tried and true recipes?
Any advice would be good :)
sara134, Sep 6, 12:26am
Leek and potato soup is always a good one if you like that sort of thing Or if your doing like a broccoli and cauliflower bake you can thinly slice up some leeks and bacon and add that also with a creamy sauce.Yum :)
cookessentials, Sep 6, 12:32am
I LOVE leeks and do a great dish with sliced leeks, lemon zest and juice, tinned tomatoes and tarragon. I shall see if I can thunt it out. Theyh are also lovely just sliced thickly and steamed.
cheese-mike, Sep 6, 12:49am
If I was going to make a cauliflower bake with leek and bacon, would I fry the leek and bacon first? How do I prepare the leek? what part do I use?
ferita, Sep 6, 12:50am
You can add leeks to most things. Anything you would add onion too add some leek as well
cookessentials, Sep 6, 12:52am
You can use all of the leek apart from the raggy end bits. Sometimes pays to remove the first layer and rince well, as they can get a little mud between the layers.
cheese-mike, Sep 6, 12:53am
Thanks for the advice :)
Might make a cauliflower cheese with caramelized leeks and bacon
cookessentials, Sep 6, 1:06am
Leek & Thyme Mashed Potato

4 medium (800g) old potatoes
40g butter
60ml (1/4 cup) milk
1 teaspoon sugar
Leek and thyme mixture
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small (200g) leek, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons dry white wine

Peel potatoes and cut each into 4 even pieces. Boil, steam or microwave potatoes until tender; drain, mash well with potato masher or fork, or push potato through a sieve. Add butter, milk and sugar, beat until butter is melted.
Leek and thyme mixture: Heat oil in pan, add leek, garlic and thyme, cook, stirring, until leek is soft. Add wine, cook, stirring, until wine is evaporated; stir leek mixture into mashed potato.
Serves 4
elliehen, Sep 6, 1:12am
For ease of cleaning, cut off the darkest of the green outer leaves and make a short cut down the 'core' of the leek from the top.This will mean you can turn the leek upside down under a running tap and wash out all the dirt that collects there.

Nothing worse than finding grit on your plate ;)
cheese-mike, Sep 6, 1:17am
Thanks for the advice on washing it, I would have ended up with mud in my dinner
cookessentials, Sep 6, 1:25am
A little bit of mud wouldn't kill you LOL
sara134, Sep 6, 1:40am
yes just fry the leek and bacon a bit before adding to the broc and cauli and the whiter parts are considered to be the best and is usaully the part eaten :)
ruby19, Sep 6, 2:00am
OH...Yum cookessentials, that mash sounds wonderful.I have a couple of leeks lurking in the fridge might have to give this ago, in the next couple of days.
lythande1, Sep 6, 3:51am
Boiled they can be a bit bland. Fried or sauted like mild onion. Great with cheese sauce, the bake with bacon cauli etc sounds good. I eat it all, green and white, wasting it to cut the green off.
cheese-mike, Mar 2, 12:58am
I got it all ready to go, Leeks were Yummy fried in butter!
I have never tried them before