Leeks

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN FALL COOKING

As the days shorten and evenings grow chilly, we begin to shift our culinary thoughts away from summer’s “straight from the garden” dishes toward fall’s hearty soups and stews, the kind of long-cooked comfort foods in which leeks are often an essential element.

Leeks, members of the Amaryllis family, are delicately flavored and even slightly sweet, yet still have a hint of pungency. The tender white lower portion is the primary culinary part of the vegetable, while the fibrous upper green part can be used to flavor broth.

Leeks can be sizeable, up to two feet long. Some varieties may grow to be thick as a fist, while others remain svelte, less than an inch in diameter. Baby leeks, a specialty that you can sometimes find at farmers’ markets, are simply leeks that have been harvested at the small stage of eight to 10 inches long and no thicker than a little finger. In my garden, I plant leeks close together so that I can harvest some as baby leeks—especially good steamed and served with a mustardy vinaigrette—leaving the remaining leeks plenty of room to grow to full size.

Leeks are as versatile in the kitchen as onions and can be not only steamed but grilled, roasted, fried, boiled or sautéed. Once cooked, leeks can be incorporated into gratins, savory pies—think leek and ham quiche— and salads. Because of their considerable sugar content, leeks, like onions, can be caramelized to a rich, deep sweetness, making them ideal for topping pizza and other flatbreads. I like the combination of a spread of caramelized leeks dotted with tangy crumbled feta or soft goat cheese, plus salty anchovies.

Most often in stews, leeks simply provide a background note to the broth, but the great French Sunday lunch classic Pot au Feu showcases leeks, along with the other vegetables, serving them alongside sliced beef and accompanied by condiments such as mustard, mayonnaise and horseradish. The broth is served as a first course, or reserved to sauce pasta the following day.

Perhaps the most elegant leek-centric dish is Vichyssoise, a sleek leek, cream, potato, onion and chicken stock creation that is served chilled. Invented by a French chef at the Ritz-Carlton in New York in the early part of the 20th century, it was named after the French city of Vichy.

Equally tasty, but considerably more humble, is leek and potato soup. This can be rustic and chunky, or puréed and strained to produce a velvety cream soup. In either case, it’s the leeks that give the soup its distinct flavor.

One of my personal new favorite ways to use leeks is to flavor mussels, something I’d never thought of until I was recently served it in France. Use my recipe here to appreciate the depth of flavor that this onion relative adds to shellfish, then explore other ways to incorporate leeks into your fall menus.