Before we get into today’s recipe I’d like to quickly layout one of my biggest party cooking rules. Always spend most of your time and energy on the main dish! The last thing you want is for that glazed ham, smoked turkey, or grilled lobster to be anything but perfect. That’s why I always recommend that you choose to make simple side dishes which you can easily whip up in minutes. And luckily for you, I am going to be sharing one of those side dishes today, creamed leeks.
Now, to be honest, the words “creamed leeks” probably doesn’t cause most people to start salivating. For starters leeks are like the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables, they get no respect I tell ya! And to cream them, well that just sounds like something your great grandmother would do.
But trust me when I say that this creamed leeks recipe tastes amazing. The gentle oniony flavor of the leeks becomes something special when quickly sauteed with butter, white wine, and cream. It’s just such a delicate and mild tasting side dish that you can easily pair it with just about anything. And like I said at the beginning, making this side dish is easy as hell and perfect for any big meal. So if you’re ready to give it a go, then let’s get to it!.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- Leeks need to be properly cleaned before cooking. You see they are often grown in sandy soil and as they grow up grains of sand tend to get stuck between the layers of the leeks. Don’t worry though cleaning them is as easy as letting them sit in some cold water for a couple of minutes. Just follow my steps below and you’ll have grain-free leeks.
- If you want to add a little bit of oomph to this recipe then try adding in some shredded cheese. Toss it in at the very end when you take the pot off the heat. Then simply stir in the cheese until it is melted and incorporated into the dish.
- Some dishes that I like to pair this with are our recipes for marinated beef tenderloin, chicken normandy, and pork schnitzel.
Creamed Leeks Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes, mainly to clean the leeks
Cook time: 7 minutes
Servings: 3 cups
Ingredients
3 Leeks
½ Cup of heavy cream
¼ Cup of dry white wine
2 Tablespoons of butter
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional:
A pinch of ground mace or nutmeg
Instructions
- Prep and clean the leeks: Quickly wash off the leeks and then cut off the top green part and the bottom root.
Then slice each leek in half lengthwise.
Follow this up by slicing the leeks into thin strips.
Place these strips into a large bowl, cover it with cold water, and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
After they have soaked scoop out the leeks with your hand into a colander so that they can dry off.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot with the tablespoon of olive oil
- Cook the Leeks: Add the leeks to the pot stir it up and let them cook for about 3 minutes or until they shrink by half.
Then add in the white wine and continue cooking for another 2 minutes or until the wine has reduced to nothing.
- Add the cream: Add the heavy cream and stir it into the leeks. Let this simmer for another minute.
- Finish the dish: Add salt and pepper to taste and stir it into the leeks. It is also at this time that you can add in the pinch of mace if you are using it.
- Serve the creamed leeks immediately and enjoy!
Creamed Leeks Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Leeks
- ½ Cup of heavy cream
- ¼ Cup of dry white wine
- 2 Tablespoons of butter
- 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
optional:
- A pinch of ground mace or nutmeg
Instructions
- Prep and clean the leeks: Quickly wash off the leeks and then cut off the top green part and the bottom root. Then slice each leek in half lengthwise. Follow this up by slicing the leeks into thin strips. Place these strips into a large bowl, cover it with cold water, and let it sit for a couple of minutes. After they have soaked scoop out the leeks with your hand into a colander so that they can dry off.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot with the tablespoon of olive oil
- Cook the Leeks: Add the leeks to the pot stir it up and let them cook for about 3 minutes or until they shrink by half. Then add in the white wine and continue cooking for another 2 minutes or until the wine has reduced to nothing.
- Add the cream: Add the heavy cream and stir it into the leeks. Let this simmer for another minute
- Finish the dish: Add salt and pepper to taste and stir it into the leeks. It is also at this time that you can add in the pinch of mace if you are using it.
- Serve the creamed leeks immediately and enjoy!
Find inspiration from other blogs
From Greedy Gourmet
From Serious Eats
