I thought this was a worthwhile post since I just realized I have been cleaning leeks the hard way for years! Please tell me I'm not the only one! I got my bad "leek cleaning" advice from various sources. But, I am happy to announce that I have finally found the best way (and in my opinion, the only way) to clean onion's cousin.
First, I have to say that cleaning a leek properly is very important. Leeks grow in the ground and tend to have a lot of dirt and sand stuck in their folds. If you try to take a short cut, you may end up with a gritty consistency in your leek dish. Obviously, I know this from experience!
The wrong way:
The first set of bad instructions I came upon were from Lidia Matticchio Bastianich (Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen). Although I love her recipes, this time Lidia lead me astray. In her cookbook she demonstrates how to shave the dark green end of the leek prior to chopping it and placing the small cuttings in a bowl of water. I did this faithfully for a long time before I finally decided that the shaving step was ridiculous. Can you please tell why I should waste time whittling the leek like a piece of wood prior to chopping it to bits?
So, when I started worshiping America's Test Kitchen, I left Lidia in the dust and followed their advice for cleaning leeks. America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook also suggests placing chopped leek bits in a water bath. But, they skipped the nonsensical shaving step and I was happy to follow in their footsteps. Happy, until I realized that even this method was needlessly hard. Have you ever tried fishing little bits of chopped leek from a bowl of water? I ended up throwing half of the bits down the drain with the water and my patience!
One day, I had a brilliant idea! Why not use a salad spinner to clean chopped leek bits?! You may already see where this is going...yes, into the pile of bad ideas!
Finally, The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook came into my life to bring some clarity to my leek cleaning ignorance. The answer is unbelievably obvious, how could I have been so blind? The Right Way
- Cut off the roots and dark green leaves
- Slice the leek vertically
- Run leek halves under water while fanning leaves like a book
Let me tell you why I am a follower and why your blog is going to be successful:
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2) You provide practical, helpful information.
3) You write well- you understand how to write so that your blog can be 'easily read'.
4) You are stinkin' hilarious.
5) You stage your food very well and the pictures make your food look mouth watering.
You're a natural. Keep posting! Oh, and I always thought leeks were too annoying to use....ever. I think you just changed my mind!
Wow! Thank you for the specific feedback, it is VERY helpful! I had no idea how my blog would be received, I really appreciate this input. It is hard getting started, but your comment has given me encouragement to keep going!! :)
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