I bought a leek last week. They were beautiful so I got one. I discovered that unlike onions, the green leafy parts don't burn when chopped into small bits and added to frying potatoes. They are attractive and taste good in shredded fried potatoes.
LEEKS
- Thread starter tomturbomatic
- Start date
Help Support :
whirlcool
Well-known member
We love to throw leeks into soups and stews. They impart a great flavor. We use them whenever we add potatoes to the stew. Just make sure to rinse them very well before using. They seem to like to hold grit in them.
They're also good in lentil soup (one of my favorites) which is super easy to make in the pressure cooker.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
An Old Story....
....Involving the late, great Arlene Francis, who was one of the most visible and popular personalities on '50s TV.
For a while, she was on an NBC show called Home, which NBC intended to be a mid-day compliment to its Today and Tonight shows. While Home didn't last, it did provide its viewers with one of the all-time great live-TV bloopers.
It came when Miss Francis was instructing breathless housewives all over America in how to make the latest fashionable first course, vichyssoise. Without thinking it through, Francis intoned:
"First, you take a leek...."
They say the switchboards at 30 Rock lit up like Christmas trees.
....Involving the late, great Arlene Francis, who was one of the most visible and popular personalities on '50s TV.
For a while, she was on an NBC show called Home, which NBC intended to be a mid-day compliment to its Today and Tonight shows. While Home didn't last, it did provide its viewers with one of the all-time great live-TV bloopers.
It came when Miss Francis was instructing breathless housewives all over America in how to make the latest fashionable first course, vichyssoise. Without thinking it through, Francis intoned:
"First, you take a leek...."
They say the switchboards at 30 Rock lit up like Christmas trees.
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
I love leeks, in potatoes, frittatas, omelettes,risotto with leeks is BIG!
Love it!
Love it!
ovrphil
Well-known member
Leek
Allium group relative to onion and garlic - see: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=26 for interesting writeup
lol , Sandy - She wasn't lying, to make that soup
(...that reminds me, here on Channel 11 some numbnuts came up a number scale from 1 to 10 to make weather predictions simpler. So for the pre-school or earlier crowd, a 1 is a bad day and a 10 is a sunny perfect day. This simple, designed for cretins system is called
THE WIZOMETER (I'll think of Leekometer now)
Allium group relative to onion and garlic - see: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=26 for interesting writeup
lol , Sandy - She wasn't lying, to make that soup
(...that reminds me, here on Channel 11 some numbnuts came up a number scale from 1 to 10 to make weather predictions simpler. So for the pre-school or earlier crowd, a 1 is a bad day and a 10 is a sunny perfect day. This simple, designed for cretins system is called THE WIZOMETER (I'll think of Leekometer now)
58limited
Well-known member
I love leeks myself and often sub them for onions when I cook. All of the recipes I've seen say not to use the green parts so I've never tried them, I've just used the white part.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Green Parts:
Instructions to use only the white part of the leek are for two reasons: 1) The green tastes a bit different from the white, and a recipe writer who customarily uses only the white part is naturally going to specify that, and 2) The appearance factor; some dishes are considered more attractive by some people if there is no green showing, only white.
I consider "white-part-only" leek specifications to be in the same category as white pepper specifications: If you care that much and you're that determined to re-create a recipe exactly as written, go for it. Otherwise, what's a bit of green or a few specks of black?
Instructions to use only the white part of the leek are for two reasons: 1) The green tastes a bit different from the white, and a recipe writer who customarily uses only the white part is naturally going to specify that, and 2) The appearance factor; some dishes are considered more attractive by some people if there is no green showing, only white.
I consider "white-part-only" leek specifications to be in the same category as white pepper specifications: If you care that much and you're that determined to re-create a recipe exactly as written, go for it. Otherwise, what's a bit of green or a few specks of black?
whirlcool
Well-known member
And some recipes do call for sliced bits of the green parts.
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
It depends on the recipe you have to do, when I make the risotto, I only use the white part and bit of green, they will dissolve during the cooking, just like onions does...if you use the thicker part it won't..
The green harder part is perfect though to be added to some fritters, omlettes etc...
Generally
You can use about 3/4 of the stalk, the upper part generally is too hard and rough to be used of course, it is not edible...
Much depends on how it comes also....could see ones that were all about green and a very little part of white tender part...
The green harder part is perfect though to be added to some fritters, omlettes etc...
Generally
You can use about 3/4 of the stalk, the upper part generally is too hard and rough to be used of course, it is not edible...
Much depends on how it comes also....could see ones that were all about green and a very little part of white tender part...
kenmoreguy89
Well-known member
P.s
Quote Sandy!
But what I could see over the time is that they tend to specify these things for inexpert people, a bit of green part really does not make difference as it will "act" just like the white part only....
I suppose certain things are mentioned just for precaution......
Quote Sandy!
But what I could see over the time is that they tend to specify these things for inexpert people, a bit of green part really does not make difference as it will "act" just like the white part only....
I suppose certain things are mentioned just for precaution......
The main thing about the upper green part is the long fibers in the leaves. I don't dare chop them in the food processor, but very carefully cut the leaves into fine strips and then across the strips to make little pieces so that the fibers are cut completely. I am going to blanch the rest after cutting them up and freeze them to have when I fix fried potatoes and maybe some other things.
Since it's BBQ season again, try slicing some leeks lengthwise in half, and grilling them over a low flame or coal bed. Delicious!
Leek pie is a classic here. I make it with smoked chicken and put cheese on top.
58limited
Well-known member
Leek pie is a classic here. I make it with smoked chicken an
Mmmm...recipe please!
Thanks for the input about the green parts everyone. I'll try using them in the future.
Mmmm...recipe please!
Thanks for the input about the green parts everyone. I'll try using them in the future.
In the spring in the Smokey Mountains they have a Ramp Festival. Ramps grow wild and are stronger, but they grill them over open fires.
Trader Joe's has frozen imported chopped leeks which are immaculately clean and soup-ready. I love leeks and buy them many times a year. Split them in half, cut off the leafy ends (about 1/2 to 1 inch below the splits on the leaves) and wash carefully (riffle the layers under the faucet to get rid of the dirt/grit between the layers. SLice evenly and use as you might onions. I've heard that if they're exceptionally dirty you might want to re-wash after slicing--I've not had to do that, though. Potato leek soup is great, and there's a very good provencal tomato soup in Mastering the Art of French Cooking which is my mom's sovereign remedy for all bad things. I think I've got a batch left in the freezer...going to have to thaw it out!
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Tom:
I've been to the ramp festival, and I have a tip: Stay away from the Porta-Potties.
It's like the asparagus effect on steroids.
I've been to the ramp festival, and I have a tip: Stay away from the Porta-Potties.
It's like the asparagus effect on steroids.
OMG! That bad? I'm guessing grilled leeks are not that bad? I have not noticed any odorous effects in the last week from the soup.
