I've always had a soft spot for leeks, I think because they remind me of my mother. For some reason, I associate leek soup and leeks in soup with her. I've never made anything with leeks though (Knorr soup mixes don't count).
So this ultra-simple recipe I caught on a Food network show, one I've only ever watched 10 minutes of, was just the ticket for this leek virgin. How can you ever go wrong drowning something in butter and wine?
There being so few ingredients, however, the quality of each one really matters. My leek-loving mother being French and all, I knew that Sel de Mer is a ritzy fancy way of saying "Sea Salt," which I have. I used an inexpensive Trader Joe's chardonnay for the wine, and ordinary butter.
And oh, the fragrant and enticing scents that circulated in my grungy kitchen when the leeks were cooking...!
But the leeks themselves turned out tough. I heeded the admonition to wash them very carefully, but I should have left out the tougher outer layers. The few inner pieces that were tender were exquisite, but the rest of it was stringy and hard to cut.
Before and after cooking.
Still, now that I know a little more about leeks, this one will definitely be added to my repertoire of fancy-sounding but easy vegetable dishes I'll make when Bonne Maman is visiting. I wonder how to say "leek" in French?
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