Suzanne Goin's Braised Leeks

As Hannah pointed out the other day, Suzanne Goin and her Sunday Suppers are everywhere. The LA Times did a piece on her one week, only to be followed by the New York Times a week later. So it was only a matter of time before I got around to making one of her recipes. And what an array to choose from! Most of the ones excerpted seem better suited for weekend cooking (nothing wrong with that - I just wanted to find something I could fit in after a day's work), so I ended up making her braised leeks. And they were a revelation.

Humble leeks are pretty delicious things, regardless of how you prepare them. Boiled with potatoes and blended into a delicate vichyssoise. Steamed and served plain with a sharp vinaigrette. Covered with bechamel and slivers of ham, and baked into a crusty, melting mess. Cooking a leek draws out its sweetness and mellows its oniony flavor. For someone who finds most members of the allium family overpowering, leeks stand apart.

Goin layers flavors nicely in this dish, with shallots and white wine and fresh thyme and stock. The initial sear gives the leek a burnished sheen, and the oven time turns them into silky wonders. They were such a success that I can't wait to find time to make more of Goin's recipes. And aren't we all glad that I've moved on from the Thanksgiving recap?

Braised Leeks
Yields 6 servings

6 large leeks
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup sliced shallots
1 tbsp thyme leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken stock

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Peel any bruised outer layers from leeks. Trim roots, leaving root end intact. Trim off tops on diagonal, leaving two inches of green. Cut in half lengthwise. Clean very well in water to remove internal grit. Pat dry with towel.

3. With cut sides up, season with salt and black pepper.

4. Heat pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 cup oil and wait 1 minute. Place leeks, cut side down, in pan with crowding them. Make in two batches and use more oil, if necessary. Sear them 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper and turn over to cook 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them, cut side up, to a gratin dish.

5. Pour 1/4 cup oil into pan and heat over medium heat. Add shallots, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until just beginning to color. Add wind and reduce by half. Add 1 1/2 cups stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour over leeks, without quite covering them.

7. Braise in oven 30 minutes, until tender.

Comments

[MeBeth]

Just found your blog - I've been doing a similar project - testing out a NY times recipe every Wednesday for the past few weeks!!

By the way, your leeks look great.

[Molly]

Perfect timing, Luisa! Last night I was prowling through some cookbooks, and I bookmarked a braised leek recipe--one with cream and tarragon--in the cookbook Fresh from the Farmers' Market. Must be something in the air! I had planned to try that one, but I may have to do this first. It sounds wonderful, with the shallots, stock, and wine...

[mzn]

Any dish calling for 1/2 cup of oil rocks my world. And did you see the Suzanne episode of Bittman's TV show on PBS? It was unbelievable. She made a confit of pork shoulder and then grilled it over charcoal. I wanted to eat that very, very badly.

Nice picture, btw, great color.

[Luisa]

MeBeth - welcome! And thank you, the leeks tasted good, too.

Molly - oh, try these first, you won't be disappointed. I ate the leftovers straight from the fridge last night and they were even good cold! Cream + tarragon sound lovely, too, though. Looking forward to hearing about that one.

mzn - thank you! The leeks tasted even better than they looked. I actually cut down on the amount of oil called for (Goin listed another 1/4 cup in the recipe, but then never actually used it). I didn't see the show, but I have the cookbook from it, so I'm going right now to look up that recipe...

[rob]

4. Heat pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 cup oil and wait 1 minute. Place leeks, cut side down, in pan WITHOUT crowding them. Make in two batches and use more oil, if necessary. Sear them 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper and turn over to cook 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them, cut side up, to a gratin dish.

5. Pour 1/4 cup oil into pan and heat over medium heat. Add shallots, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until just beginning to color. Add WINE and reduce by half. Add 1 1/2 cups stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour over leeks, without quite covering them.

best regards
rob

[emily]

i also just discovered this blog, and i really love it- the pictures are amazing, and it's a very entertaining read
plus, this looks absolutely delicious-

[Louise]

try adding fennel to this dish. get a bulb and chop it into slices, like the way you would slice a beet. Briase the slices in the oil and add to the gratin dish for baking along with the leeks. Amazing flavour.

[Emily]

Ran out of olive oil a few days ago, but still wanted to make these, so I browned the leeks in chicken fat that I had rendered a few days before. Yes, totally decadent, and AMAZING.