Caramelized and Braised Leeks
These Caramelized and Braised Leeks are the epitome of a recipe with simple ingredients that when combined have so much flavor. Perfectly tender leeks topped with a crunchy herby toasted hazelnut gremolata. The leeks are first caramelized to get nice deep color and flavor, then slightly braised to fish cooking them through.
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Servings: 3 servings
Ingredients
- 3 leeks
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 2 tablespoon toasted hazelnuts chopped
Instructions
- Warm a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter and with the oil. Once the butter is melted, put the leek halves in the pan cut sides down in a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes until deeply golden.
- Once the leeks are caramelized, flip them over, sprinkle with a teaspoon of kosher salt, and pour in the vegetable broth (pour around the leeks not on top of them).
- Turn the skillet down to medium-low heat and cover. Cook the leeks for 10 minutes until tender but still with some bite (similar to how you would aim for an al dente cooked pasta).
- In a small bowl, combine the toasted hazelnuts, parsley, lemon zest, and grated garlic. Mix to combine.
- Transfer the cooked leeks to a serving platter and top them with the gremolata. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.
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Notes
- Clean your leeks thoroughly. They are notorious for being rather dirty with all their layers, so make sure you’re being diligent.
- Mentioned in the prep above, but to prep and clean the leeks: cut the dark green top of the leeks off with a sharp knife (leave the root end on). Cut them in half, then run them under cold water, opening up the layers gently to get out all the dirt. Then pat dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel and cut off the root.
- Instead of running them under cold water you could alternatively get a big bowl of cold water and submerge them, then clean the layers while submerged
- When you put the leeks face-down in the oil and butter to caramelize, try to leave them alone and not move them around in the pan so much, this will help ensure you get that really nice golden brown caramelization.
- Prep the gremolata in advance, up to multiple days. Keep it in the fridge and when ready to serve just make sure you take it out and let it get to room temperature.
- Because the leeks are so delicate, I like to flip them over very gently using a combination of a spatula and tongs. Grab and scoop.
- Add a little spice to the dish by adding red pepper flakes or aleppo pepper to the gremolata.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 875mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2066IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg