Tuesday’s Tip with The Kitchen Whisperer – How to Prepare and Clean Leeks

Happy Tuesday TKW Family!  Today on this week’s edition of Tuesday’s Tip with The Kitchen Whisperer I’m sharing with you how to prepare and clean leeks. Leeks have been around for eons but didn’t really become mainstream until a few years ago with the uprising of foodies, cooking blogs and 9 million cooking shows. If you’re unfamiliar with leeks, leeks look like overgrown green onions.  They are the Mac Daddy of the onion world as I believe they are the biggest. These are a close relative of onions and garlic. They have a mild oniony flavor that works well in soups and a variety of other dishes.

Leeks have a great flavor to dishes but also they have significant health benefits. They are high in Vitamin A which helps our eyes.  They are high in Vitamin K which helps out with our blood and bones. In addition they contain vvitamins that help our eyesight as well.

The downfall with leeks is that when they grow in soil they form tight stalks.  Well growing through the dirt, that grit and dirt gets trapped in the layers of the stalk so you have to clean them pretty extensively.  I use two different methods as it varies on how I want to use them.

For soups

1. Cut the leek where the dark part of the stalk stops and where the lighter green starts.  This is typically where the stalk just starts to fan out.  The darker parts are tougher but don’t discard them.  Save them for stocks and longer cooking dishes.
2. Slice the stalk in small rounds.
3. Place the slices in a bowl of ice water and swish the leeks around several times.  This will allow the dirt and sand to fall to the bottom.
4. Use a strainer and lift out the leeks.  Inspect and if they still feel gritty, pop them in another bowl of clean water.
5. Use as directed in your recipe.

For Strips and Using the Whole Leek

1. Insert the tip of a sharp knife right at the top of the stalk (right before the leaves fan out) and pull straight out to the end of the leek where the dark parts are.  You’ll leave the stalk whole as you’ll need this to hold on to.
2. Pick up the leek and fan out the leaves trying to separate them.
3. Dunk the leaves then repeatedly into a big bowl of ice water swishing it around to rinse it out.  I think of this like when you put a mop into a bucket of water how you swish the head around to get it all wet.
4. Inspect as you go.  If necessary, make another slit to make even more separations.
5. Slice off as much as you need and save the rest for another dish.

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