It’s majestic, a titan in the onion family. Mostly just the white and light green parts are eaten, though the darker green parts have plenty of flavor and can either be cooked longer to tenderize them, or used when making homemade soup stock.
Leeks Are Dirty
The challenge when cooking with leeks is that they are almost always dirty. When leeks are grown, soil is piled up around them, so that more of the leek is hidden from the sun, and therefore lighter in color and more tender. What produces a beautiful leek, a long pale body, also results in sand and dirt being lodged deep inside the leek.
Two Ways to Clean Leeks
There are basically two ways to clean leeks, the method you use depends upon how you are going to use the leeks in cooking. The easiest way is to prepare them chopped for use in soup. A little more challenging is preparing a leek for use in a recipe that requires whole leeks. Both methods are detailed here.
Have Leeks? Here Are Some Great Recipes to Use Them With:
Potato Leek Soup Leeks Vinaigrette Colcannon Soup Foil Baked Salmon with Leeks and Bell Peppers
The last couple of inches of the dark green ends should probably be discarded or saved for making stock. (I put mine in a plastic bag and drop it in the freezer.) Make crosswise cuts along the parts of the leek that you intend to use. Scoop the leeks out of the water with a sieve or slotted spoon and place in a new bowl. Cut straight through, up to and through the green ends of the leek, leaving the pale part of the leek whole. Discard the dark greens or save them to flavor soups or stews, or use for making stock.
