Braised leeks

These braised leeks are wonderfully flavorful and lusciously tender, really making this often overlooked vegetable shine. They're gently sweet, silky smooth and tasty, and perfect as a side or topping.

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I'm not really sure why leeks are a bit of the underdog of the allium family, but for some reason they seem to be. White onions are the workhorse, shallots and red onions are favorites in particular regions or to add some color. But leeks are used a lot less.

If I'm honest, I get it - they can be a pain to clean, don't have as long a shelf life after buying, and can burn annoyingly quickly with many cooking methods. But they do have their own unique flavor that can be well worth enjoying.

Leeks do still have some places where they are a more popularly used ingredient, with France and the UK being some of the better known for adding them to soups (like Scottish cock-a-leekie soup). They're also widely enjoyed in Belgium and Turkey. But I think France is where I think of to make leeks into a dish in and of themselves. Whether cold served with vinaigrette, or braised as here, they can be their own star.

What is braising?

Braising is a cooking technique where you first sear the ingredients in fat, then cook it in a small amount of liquid until it becomes really tender. This last part is usually covered at least part of the time so you are in effect steaming the ingredients.

You can use the method with a variety of ingredients though meats are probably what you think of most, as in hong shao rou, red braised pork belly and my braised lamb shoulder chops. It's particularly good for cuts that need time to break down connective tissue.

You can also braise vegetables, particularly firm ones like root vegetables, as well as some others, as with the leeks here. French-style Vichy carrots, for example, are technically glazed, since there's sugar and they aren't covered, but it's broadly the same idea.

Braising is different from stewing which uses more liquid and the ingredients are immersed fully in the liquid. With braising, you only partly cover what you are cooking and the liquid often largely disappears as you cook.

Ingredients for braised leeks

These need only a handful of simple ingredients:

• Leeks -
• Butter -
• Stock -
• White wine -
• Salt and pepper -
• Dried thyme -

You'll be amazed how so few ingredients can create incredible flavor and such silky smooth texture. And you don't really need a lot of hands-on effort either.

Preparing leeks

One of the things that can put people off cooking with leeks is preparing them, but it's really not as difficult as you might think. You have two main aims - removing the part that can be tough, and getting them clean. Dirt can get caught up in the layers so cleaning can be trickier, but it's easier if you have them at least part-prepared first.

First, trim off the dark green part and any roots and peel off the outer layer. These can all either be cleaned and used to make stock, or composted. If you make this with longer lengths of leek, as shown in the pictures here, a really good way to clean them is to let the half leeks soak in some water a few minutes. If you make rounds, carefully wash each under running water to get any dirt out.

Then, gently dry them on paper towel/kitchen paper before cooking. You cook them gently in butter first to get a nice slight caramelization. Take care, leeks can burn easily, but you should have enough butter that's less likely. Then, add wine, then stock, cover and let them steam.

Serving and storing braised leeks

These make a delicious side dish to a range mains like roast chicken, fish or some simpler stews. But you can also use them in a few other ways. For example:

• For lunch - as a toast topping, maybe with some goat cheese underneath or crumbled on top.
• As a main - mixed through or on top of risotto, pasta or with white beans to make a meal in itself. You could even use them as a topping to a baked potato with sour cream, for example.
• For breakfast - why not serve some with a poached egg for a simple, delicious start to the day.
• As an appetizer - if braised as rounds rather than lengths, these would be great to top crostini for an elegant finger food.

As you can see, they're wonderfully versatile which is great since they are so flavorful, you'll want to find lots of excuses to enjoy them.

If you make them as a larger batch and have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge in a sealed container for a day or two. Then either use them chilled/room temperature or warm them gently either in the microwave or on the stove. If needed, add a little extra water/stock if they are dry.

These braised leeks are easy to make and really transform a sometimes under-loved vegetable into something so incredibly flavorful and tender. They're versatile in how you serve them, giving you every excuse to enjoy them often.

Try these other tasty vegetable side dishes:

• Miso glazed eggplant (another incredibly tender and tasty veggie dish)
• Asparagus mimosa (this elegant asparagus dish is topped with a bright vinaigrette and egg. Works both as a side and appetizer)
• Marinated grilled zucchini (a summer favorite, the simple dressing after cooking adds lots of fresh flavor)
• Plus get more side dishes and French recipes in the archives.

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