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.

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.

You won't use the tough tops in most leek recipes, but still, don't toss them! They add delicious oniony flavor to homemade stock. Store them in an airtight bag in the freezer until you're ready to make some. Next, continue chopping the white and light green parts.

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 and it drives me mad!

Leeks and wild ramps boast a variety of nutrients and beneficial compounds that may improve your digestion, promote weight loss, reduce inflammation, fight heart disease, and combat cancer. In addition, they may lower blood sugar levels, protect your brain, and fight infections.

Good leeks should feel firm and look healthy from root to tip. The stems should be white—we eat the tender white parts, so the longer the better—with no dark or soft spots. The dark green parts should be very dark with no yellowing or brown spots. Avoid anything that's limp, wilted, or starting to shrivel.

Therefore, wrap leeks in plastic when storing in the refrigerator. Do not trim or wash before storing. Leeks will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator if they are purchased fresh. Once cooked, leeks can be kept in the refrigerator and used within two days.

Leeks have a mildly sweet flavor that is reminiscent of other alliums, such as onions, shallots, garlic, and chives. They are often used the way onions are — as part of a base of flavors for soups, stews, and other long-cooking dishes. However, their more mild flavor means they can be enjoyed on their own as well.

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.

Magical Leek Soup is a broth made from boiling leeks in water. It is a mild diuretic and a secret diet food for French women for generations. The practice, as written by Mireille Guiliano in her book, "French women don't get fat" is to sip the broth throughout the day and eat the boiled leeks as the meal.

Why use leeks instead of onions? ›

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.

Risks of Eating Leeks

People who are sensitive to FODMAPs may experience digestive symptoms, such as bloating, diarrhea, and gas after consuming high-FODMAP foods. People with certain digestive conditions, like Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), are more likely to be intolerant to FODMAPs.

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.

Leeks belong to the allium family along with garlic, shallots, and all types of onions. The sharp flavor of raw leeks turns sweet and mellow when they're cooked—so sweet and mellow, in fact, that they can be eaten on their own, like a vegetable.

What Do Leeks Taste Like? Leeks taste like a mild sweet onion, but with their own distinctive twist. Let's put it this way: shallots and onions taste much more alike other than leeks and onions do. It's that sweet-not-exactly-onion flavor that chefs love and seek out.