Braised Leeks (Poireaux Braisé)
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 23, 2009
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
We prefer to use large leeks for this recipe; the diameter of each leek should be about 1 inch and you should trim it to be about 6 inches in length in order to fit easily in the skillet. When prepping the leeks, be sure to trim only the dangling roots from the root end, leaving the rest of the root intact to hold the layers together. The leeks can fall apart easily when cooking if not handled gently. To check the browning progress, grasp the root ends gingerly with tongs and peek underneath the cut side. You will need a skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. We found a nonstick skillet works best here, but a traditional skillet can be used. To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt evenly over the bottom of the skillet and add the leeks, cut side down, in a single layer. Cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed if browning too quickly.
- Add the wine, broth, and thyme. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the leeks lose their vibrant color, turn translucent, and a paring knife inserted into the root end meets little resistance, about 10 minutes.
- Gently transfer the leeks to a warmed serving platter, leaving the liquid in the skillet; cover the leeks and set aside. Return the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until it has a syrupy sauce consistency, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the remaining tablespoon butter, parsley (if using), and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the leeks and serve immediately.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We found that large leeks with sizable white and light green portions, not slender young leeks, were best for our braised leeks recipe. We prepared them by trimming off only the roots at the base and the tough greens at the top and then halving them lengthwise. We decided to brown the leeks on their cuts sides only, thereby eliminating the need to flip them, but first we sprinkled sugar into the skillet before adding the leeks—the sugar’s caramelization was compensation for flavor lost by browning the leeks on only one side. For braising liquids for our braised leeks recipe, we liked a combination of chicken broth and white wine—the broth gave the sauce backbone while the wine added acidity—and we threw in some thyme for savory herbal notes.
Before You Begin
We prefer to use large leeks for this recipe; the diameter of each leek should be about 1 inch and you should trim it to be about 6 inches in length in order to fit easily in the skillet. When prepping the leeks, be sure to trim only the dangling roots from the root end, leaving the rest of the root intact to hold the layers together. The leeks can fall apart easily when cooking if not handled gently. To check the browning progress, grasp the root ends gingerly with tongs and peek underneath the cut side. You will need a skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. We found a nonstick skillet works best here, but a traditional skillet can be used. To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt evenly over the bottom of the skillet and add the leeks, cut side down, in a single layer. Cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed if browning too quickly.
- Add the wine, broth, and thyme. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the leeks lose their vibrant color, turn translucent, and a paring knife inserted into the root end meets little resistance, about 10 minutes.
- Gently transfer the leeks to a warmed serving platter, leaving the liquid in the skillet; cover the leeks and set aside. Return the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until it has a syrupy sauce consistency, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the remaining tablespoon butter, parsley (if using), and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the leeks and serve immediately.
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