Produce
Leek
Also called poireau, puerro
A mild allium grown as a long white-and-green shaft. The white and pale green go into pot-au-feu and many soups; the dark tops are perfectly good in stock even if they are too coarse for the plate.
Origin
Mediterranean and European kitchen gardens. French pot-au-feu and many northern European soups treat it as the gentle onion.
Flavour
Onion, but sweeter and less punchy, with a green almost grassy note in the tops. Dirt in the layers is not a flavour.
How to use it
Split lengthwise and wash thoroughly — grit hides between the sheets, especially after rain. Slice and sweat in butter until soft and glossy if you want a base; do not expect it to brown like onion without catching. For pot-au-feu, tie whole washed lengths and simmer them with the beef until tender, then serve as a vegetable. Dark tops flavour stock, then come out. Salt them as they wilt so they give up water. If they are very thick, slice the dark green thinner or save it for the pot. Leek and potato soup wants them melted, not fried dark.
Storage
Fridge, wrapped, with the roots still on if you can. They dry from the cut tops.
Recipes using it
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