Braised Leek Salad Recipes

LEEKS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil and season liberally with salt.
• Trim the leeks at the root ends, keeping the leeks intact. Cut the leeks where the light green meets the darker green. Save the darker green section for stock. Split the leeks in half lengthwise, again leaving the roots intact. Put the leeks in a large bowl of water and let it sit for a minute. Rinse the dirt from the insides of the leeks by lightly separating the layers and allowing the water to wash the dirt out. Tie the leeks in 3 places with butcher's twine to hold shut.
• Add the leeks to the pot of water and let it come back to a simmer. Boil the leeks until they are very tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer them to paper towels and remove the twine. Separate each leek into 2 halves.
• In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, mustards, garlic, shallots and salt and pepper. Spread some of the vinaigrette on the bottom of an 8-inch square dish.
• While the leeks are still warm, remove the outer layer of each; lay the leeks cut-side down in the vinaigrette in the dish. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the leeks. Cover and chill the leeks in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
• Arrange the leeks on a platter and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with the hazelnuts, eggs and chives. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the leeks and serve.

BRAISED LEEKS

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, trim most of the roots off the end of the leek, leaving enough so that the leek remains attached at the bottom. Cut each leek lengthwise into halves and then cut each half into inch long pieces. Soak leeks in a large bowl of cool water to allow any dirt to settle to the bottom.
• In a saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks to the skillet. Cook the leeks, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle with thyme and cook one minute more.
• Add stock, reduce heat to medium low. Braise the leeks, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the leeks are very tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

BRAISED LEEKS, PEAS, AND LETTUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large wide saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook leeks, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 5-7 minutes. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper, then pour in wine. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until wine is reduced by half, 1-2 minutes. Add lettuce, peas, and 1 cup water. Partially cover pan and bring liquid to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until lettuce and peas are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat, then stir in chives, mint, and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter. Top with pistachios.

SIMPLE BRAISED LEEKS

Steps:

• Remove outer leaves; cut dark-green ends from leeks. Trim roots, keeping leaves attached. Halve lengthwise; rinse to remove grit.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks to pan and arrange cut side down in a single layer. Cook until softened and light golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn leeks and cook on the other side until softened, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the leeks again so they are cut side down and peel off any papery outer layers. Add stock and wine, stirring to deglaze pan. Cook for 1 minute. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover with a parchment paper round. Cook until the leeks are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
• Remove parchment, raise heat, and cook until liquid is reduced, about 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse salt and parsley; serve.

BRAISED LEEKS WITH PARMESAN

Steps:

• Cut the ends and the dark green leaves of the leeks, and cut in half lengthwise. Place in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then run under the faucet to remove any sand that may be lingering in between the layers. Peel off thick outer layers and discard.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet that will accommodate all of the leeks in one layer. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, and cook, shaking the pan and moving them around with tongs, until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the leeks over and cook on the other side until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the leeks back over so that the cut side is down. Peel off the outer layers if they are papery, as they will not soften when the leeks are braised. Pour in the wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, then add enough water or stock to come just to the top of the leeks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the leeks are thoroughly tender when pierced with a knife. Most of the liquid should have evaporated by this time. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
• Transfer the leeks to an oiled ovenproof pan if your skillet cannot go under the broiler. Using tongs, turn the leeks so that the flat side is up. If there is still a lot of liquid in the pan, pour it off. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the leeks. Place under the hot broiler until the cheese has melted and is beginning to color. Remove from the heat and serve.

BRAISED LEEKS

Steps:

• Remove outer leaves; cut dark-green ends from leeks. Trim roots, keeping leaves attached. Halve lengthwise; rinse to remove grit.
• Bring broth to a boil in a large skillet. Add leeks; cover, and cook over medium-low heat, turning once, until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer leeks to a platter.
• Boil broth until reduced to 1/2 cup, 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter; swirl to melt. Add parsley; season with salt and pepper. Spoon over leeks.

TENDER BRAISED LEEKS

Steps:

• Trim the darkest green part off the leeks and strip away the first two layers. Cut in half lengthways, but keep attached at the root. Wash the leeks under cold running water and set aside. Tip all the other ingredients, except the olives and parsley, into a wide shallow pan with 200ml water, some cracked pepper and a sprinkling of salt.
• Slip the leeks into the pan, cover and place over a low heat. Gently simmer for 20 mins, turning them occasionally until very tender - a knife blade should slip in easily. Leave to cool until just warm, then stir through the parsley and olives, if you like. Serve the leeks as they are with crusty bread or with roast chicken or fish.

BRAISED LEEKS & PEAS

Steps:

• Discard outer, darker, tougher leaves from the leeks, then halve each into 2 shorter lengths and rinse under cold running water.
• Pour the chicken or veg stock into a large, wide shallow pan, then scatter in the garlic and thyme sprigs. Lay the leeks in the pan, trying not to crowd them, then season with pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 mins until almost tender. Tip in the peas, bring back to the boil and simmer for a further 5 mins until the veg is cooked. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the leeks, peas and garlic to a warm serving dish, season with extra pepper, drizzle over the olive oil and finish with a scattering of thyme leaves.

BRAISED LEEKS

Steps:

• Trim and rinse the leeks, discarding the roots and all but an inch or two of the green. Place the leeks in a skillet or casserole dish and add the stock, wine, butter, salt and pepper to taste. If necessary, add a little water so that the liquid comes about halfway up the leeks.
• Place on top of the stove and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes. Turn the leeks and continue to simmer until they are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes more. (Add a little more water if they become dry.) Serve immediately.

BRAISED LEEK SALAD

Steps:

• Thoroughly dry the leeks.
• Warm the olive oil in a saute pan set over moderate heat. Add the leeks to the pan, flat side down. Caramelize the leeks, paying careful attention to avoid burning them, about 4 minutes. Remove the leeks from the pan using tongs or a slotted spoon.
• If using wine, deglaze the pan with it and cook until the wine is reduced by half, a few seconds. Add the vinegar and reduce by one third, another few seconds. Add the stock and reduce by half, again, just a few seconds.
• Place one leek half on each of four salad plates. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle equal portions of the sauce over the leeks, sprinkle with crumbled cheese and garnish with the olives.