Leeks in White Wine Sauce | Delicious Braised Leeks Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make a white wine and leek sauce? ›

Sweat the leeks in the butter in a large pan over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and sweet. Add the wine and turn up the heat. Bubble to reduce the wine until it has almost evaporated (about 2 minutes). Stir in the cream, lower the heat and cook for 2 minutes until just coating the leeks.

Season leeks with soy, maple, sesame oil, and mirin. Top with sliced garlic and a few knobs of butter around the outside of the pan. Add just enough stock to cover leeks halfway, bring to a boil and pop into over to roast until caramelized and tender when pierced with a knife.

However, washing leeks is particularly essential because they get LOTS of dirt and grit stuck in them during the growing process. Fortunately, a quick slice and swish in a bowl of water easily helps all that dirt fall out of your leeks and into the bottom of the bowl.

Cooking With White Wine

As evidenced by fondue, white wine works well with dairy. Using wine in place of some or all of the vinegar in classic beurre blanc and Béarnaise sauces will make them less acidic and more complex.

“Since they're reminiscent of a mild onion with a slight vegetal quality, the obvious pairing would be Sauvignon Blanc, but I like Verdejo,” says Morgan Slade, food and beverage director of the buzzy Quirk Hotel, a Two Roads Hospitality hotel, in Richmond, Virginia.

Arrange the leeks in one layer in a baking tray or earthenware dish and roast in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until golden and almost caramelized. Keep your eye on them - I've seen many chefs burn baby leeks when cooking them this way and it drives me mad!

Leeks should never be browned, or overcooked, because it will turn them into slimy mush. Instead, cook them until they are tender. They need to be cooked carefully and with a watchful eye because it's easy to undercook and overcook them.

To cook: Leeks can be boiled, braised or steamed. Sliced leeks should be cooked for 5-7 minutes until tender but still firm. Whole small leeks should be cooked for 10-15 minutes until tender but still firm, top with a cheese sauce and then brown under a preheated grill for 5 minutes or until golden.

The common wisdom is that leek greens are so tough, they should only be used to make stock. I agree that leek greens are great to throw into stock, but that's far from their only use. Yes, the fact is that they are tough.

Why do you only use the white part of leeks? ›

Many recipes for leek soup call for just the white part of the leek, probably to keep the soup a paler colour, but the greens have just as much, if not more, flavour, and colour the soup a brilliant light green.

Leeks work really well in my recipe for homemade bone broth chicken stew. What spices go with leeks? For this recipe, I have married the leeks with cumin and caraway seeds but leeks work well with paprika, coriander, basil, garlic, marjoram, or sage.

Avoid leeks with cuts or bruises. The dark green tops of leeks should look fresh. Avoid leeks with yellowing or wilting tops. Choose smaller, younger leeks when you want to eat them uncooked.

They're a good source of vitamin K, which may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis, in addition to aiding in blood clotting for wounds and supporting heart health. They're high in fiber, which helps promote regularity and a healthy digestive system.

Their taste is delicate and versatile, offering a gentle onion-like essence that becomes sweeter when cooked. Leeks contribute a mild and pleasant flavor to dishes, often used to add depth to soups, stews, and various recipes without overpowering other ingredients.

Combine equal parts cornstarch and cold water. Stir together until smooth. Pour into your sauce and cook over medium heat, stirring continually, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Test the sauce with a spoon.

Ingredients: Leek Flower (95%), Water, Salt, Flavour Enhancer (E621), Preservative (E211).

Sauce bourguignonne is a French sauce with a base of red wine with onions or shallots. Bordelaise sauce is a classic French sauce prepared with red wine, meat glaze or demi-glace, butter, shallots and bone marrow.

A general ratio to work with is 2 tablespoons flour for every cup of liquid. Start by adding a little bit, then cook, stirring, for a few minutes to allow the sauce time to thicken and cook off the raw flour taste; if the results are minimal, add more.