Leek Confit

Another bit of an experiment. This one went pretty well. I would try this again, possibly. We had it with crackers and cheese, then later we tossed it in with some pasta. It's versatile. Bears further exploration?

Ingredients

• all the green parts from 3 leeks
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 2 tbsp water or so
• salt to taste

Melt the butter in a large saute pan. Toss in the leeks, water, and about 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring often, for, like, ever. I think we did it for 30 minutes, but maybe would have benefited from longer. When you're done, uncover and evaporate the excess water. Serve.

Thoughts: It's an interesting idea. I had previously read about broccoli confit, which also sounds like something worth trying. You could also possibly do this in a slow-cooker. Anyway, it gives us something to do with the green parts of the leeks when we want to make vichyssoise the proper way.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Parsnip and Leek Soup with Crab

Seems like it's been too long since we posted something here. This was too interesting to pass up, though.

Ingredients

• scant 1 lb of parsnips, peeled and chopped into rough 1-2" pieces
• 2 small leeks or, I don't know, one large one? Chopped and rinsed thoroughly to remove the sand. (We like to float the cut leeks in a bowl of water, and the sand sinks to the bottom)
• about 1 or 1.5tsp dried thyme
• splash of white wine (or vermouth)
• olive oil
• 3c chicken stock
• 1/4c whipping cream
• lump crab meat (we got a 6oz package of "blue star" crab meat, and it wasn't too expensive - like $6).
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2tbsp butter

So toss the parsnips in some olive oil and put in a glass baking dish. Cover with foil and pop in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the leeks, thyme, and wine and stir to coat. Cover back up with the foil and put back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

When that's done, put everything in a soup pot with 3c of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 10 minutes. When the veg are soft, blend until relatively smooth (we used an immersion blender, which worked great, but you can use a stand blender if you want a really silky texture). Return to the pot (if you took it out?) and add the whipping cream. Adjust salt and the texture - if you use low-sodium broth, I can see you needing some more salt. And if you weren't generous with the stock or if you had a few more parsnips than I did, you MAY need a little more water.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter with the lemon juice. When it's melted, add the crab to the bowl and stir. Probably won't actually cook the crab, but I don't think you really need to, either (our crab meat was pasteurized and, therefore, ready to eat). Anyway, serve the soup in a bowl (or shooter, or whatever) and top with a little bit of crab.... or a lot of crab.

Thoughts: Pretty great. The flavors complemented each other really nicely. I would say my only gripe is that I felt like there is a better way to do this. Roasting the parsnips should bring out the natural sweetness, but when you leave them covered, it kind of defeats the purpose. And why roast the leeks? Maybe next time, we throw the parsnips in the oven (covered for 15, uncovered for 25?) and while they're roasting, we could saute the leeks with the thyme and olive oil in the stock pot. That makes more sense to me. EVEN SO, this was really good. Also quite easy.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Cullen Skink

We got the recipe at Doune Castle. I made some modifications, and it worked!


Ingredients

• about 8oz mashed potatoes
• 1.5 leeks (you could reasonably use one), chopped
• pint of 2% milk
• about 1lb cod or haddock (we used cod)
• salt
• pepper
• bay leaf
• some olive oil

In a soup pot, heat olive oil. Add the leeks and cook until they're just getting tender - 8 minutes or so. Add the milk, bay leaf, and cod. Heat to boiling, then reduce to a simmer until the fish is cooked through. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the fish, about half the leeks, and the bay leaf. Add the mashed potatoes and blend what remains until smooth. Flake the fish apart and re-add that and the leeks to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste (takes a LOT of salt because of the potato - don't be afraid of seasoning.)

Thoughts: This was pretty great. It's basically vichyssoise, except with cod in it. In the future, I would probably do this SLIGHTLY differently. I might cook most of the stuff in water rather than milk, because the milk tends to separate (though blending with the potato helps this). I would want chunks of potato, too. I'm not sure exactly when I would add this. Otherwise, pretty awesome. Everyone kept saying they liked it and I do not THINK they were lying to me.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Double Celery Potato Soup

Not for those who are allergic to celery, as this has DOUBLE celery.

Ingredients

• 3tbsp olive oil
• about 2 entire leeks, chopped (we used the green parts of about 4 leeks)
• 1 large onion or 2 small, chopped
• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped to rough 1" chunks
• 2 medium celery roots, peeled and chopped to rough 1" chunks
• heaping 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 8c chicken/vegetable stock
• 5 celery stalks, chopped
• (optional) bacon, crisped to top (you can also cook vegetables in the bacon fat / skip the olive oil completely)
• (optional) cream or whole milk - between 1/4 and 1 c, depending on how you feel (we used 1/4 whole)
• black pepper

In a pot, add the leeks and onion and the oil (or bacon fat, if using).  Cook until tender over medium to medium-low heat, about 10 minutes.  Then add the potatoes, celery root, thyme, bay leaf, and stock.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the celery stalks and simmer for another 15 minutes.  Now take the soup off the heat and, using an immersion blender (or equivalent?), blend the hell out of the soup until it's mostly smooth.  Add a ton of finely ground black pepper, milk (if using).  Serve and top with optional bacon, if desired.

Thoughts: The flavor of this is really INTERESTING - different from any soup I've had.  In retrospect, this recipe is another variation on the traditional leek and potato soup (see Vichyssoise 2 or our ever popular Vichyssoise with Chilies), but the celery flavor is slightly sweet.  It doesn't taste strongly like celery, but it has a unique... unexpected flavor.  Not totally unlike pea soup.  Kind of "warm" is the best way to put it.  It pairs very well with pepper.  I think this soup would be better had in winter.  But it was a good way to use up a lot of ingredients we had... and it was an excuse to try celeriac for the first time ever.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Vichyssoise 2

Easier and better than our original recipe.  Thanks Julia Child.
Ingredients

• 6 leeks, white parts chopped and rinsed of grit, green parts discarded (or saved for something else)
• 5 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (the idea is to have about 6 cups of leeks and 6 cups of potatoes)
• 12c chicken or vegetable stock
• 1-2c cream

Note: This recipe makes a LOT of soup.  I made this for a group of 12 and had leftovers.

This recipe is embarrassingly easy.  Throw the vegetables in a big pot with the stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes.  Blend in batches, then stir in the cream.  Chill.

Thoughts: I thought that this was really delicious - better than any vichyssoise we'd made in the past.  Must be the cream.  Claire really liked it, too, except that she likes it better with chili peppers in it, and she prefers it served warm.  Anyway, good show.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Leek and Lemon Soup

This is based on a recipe found on the kitchn blog. We modified it, though, and I think we made a good choice.



This recipe makes about enough for 2 people, so you have to multiply it out to get more.


Ingredients

• 3 leeks
  
• 4 cloves smashed garlic
  
• 2tbsp butter
  
• 4c chicken stock (possibly a little less chicken stock plus some water) (or veg)
  
• 1/4c vermouth
  
• the zest of 1 lemon
  
• Wedges of lemon to squeeze into individual servings
  

Chop up the leeks and wash off all the sand. Heat the butter in a pan until it gets all frothy, then add the leeks and garlic and cook about 10 minutes over medium-high heat, until the leeks are starting to soften. Now add the vermouth and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for an hour to reduce. That's right, an hour. When that's done, turn off the heat and add the lemon zest. Stir to combine, and then toss everything into a blender and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with wedges of lemon to squeeze into individual servings - depending on how juicy the lemon is, you can squeeze about 1/8 of a lemon into each serving (or maybe a little less) to improve the flavor without overpowering it.

Thoughts: This soup is REALLY delicious. It has a unique flavor that's somewhat reminiscent of avgolemono but the leeks give it a sweeter flavor that matches the lemon nicely. The texture is weirdly velvety. And you know what? Aside from the huge amount of salt in this, it's pretty healthy. Note: as a follow up, Claire and I have made this dish like 4 times since it was posted. This is just really an unusually good recipe. And really easy.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Spargel Saison!

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion OR 3 medium shallots OR 1 medium leek (washed well, white and light green parts only, chopped finely)
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• salt
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (we used Vermouth)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable, if you must)
  
• 2 bunches asparagus, tough ends removed, and cut into 1/2 inch lengths
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• ground black pepper
• VARIATION: 3 SLICES COOKED BACON
• VARIATION: CRUMBLED GORGONZOLA
  

Combine the onion, oil, and 1/2 tsp salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the wine and bay leaf. Cook until wine is absorbed, about 1 minute.
Whisking constantly, add the broth.
Bring to a oil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the broth is slightly thickened and no longer tastes like flour (5 minutes).
Add the asparagus and continue to simmer, uncovered, until tender, 7-10 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf.
Puree the mixture in batches in a blender until smooth.
Return to saucepan. Stir in the half-and-half and cook over low heat until just hot (don't boil).
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
If using variations, add the chop the cooked bacon slices and stir in. Top with Gorgonzola cheese.
Eat.

Thoughts: Fantastic soup. And easy to make. And if you don't like your soups too healthy, go ahead and add the bacon and Gorgonzola. Let me tell you, it makes it so much better. There should not be any dish without bacon. Let me say that. Dan says that he's not sure that the bacon did much for him. So APPARENTLY bacon isn't for everyone. But without those two variations, the soup is ridiculously healthy. The only questionable thing in there is the half-and-half, and there's only 1/2 cup for the entire recipe. Not too shabby. I would definitely make this again.

Disaster Index: 1/10. Full marks!

Update: We made this recently, but instead of 2 bunches of asparagus we did 1 bunch asparagus and an equal proportion of kale, washed and chopped. It went well - the soup was quite good. If you don't have enough asparagus, kale works very well. Then I decided that I wanted to stir the blue cheese into the soup directly rather than in individual servings, and this was... less successful. Lesson learned. You can season the soup with some dill. See what you think.

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Ingredients

• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
  
• 1 cup precooked ham, grilled and chopped.
  
• 1 large leek, rinsed and chopped
  
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup green split peas, rinsed
  
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 5 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 5 and 3/4 cup chicken broth

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped ham and grill until it gets a little caramelized. This should take 5-7 minutes. Remove the grilled ham and set aside.
Add a little more olive oil to the pan, if needed, and add leek and bay leaf. Saute until leeks are wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Add the split peas and stir to coat them with the olive oil. Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover, and let simmer for around 35 minutes, or until the peas are tender.
Remove from heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove about 1 cup of the soup solids and put in blender. Add 1/2 cup of the broth. Add 4 tbsp of the dill and the frozen peas. Puree until smooth. Return the puree to the soup and bring to a boil again. Add the ham and mix until it's evenly distributed. Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh dill. Eat.

Thoughts: This was a pretty straight-up recipe and it was also pretty easy. Also good for you; it didn't require any cream or anything. Plus ham is actually surprisingly lean. So all in all, pretty healthy. The original recipe didn't actually call for ham, but we figured you can't REALLY have split pea soup without ham. Unless you're like, a vegetarian, or trying to keep kosher or something. But the ham really added an extra flavor and texture dimension to the soup that I think the soup definitely benefited from. I would definitely make it again. The dill was also a good touch. Dan thought there was a little too much salt, probably because of the chicken stock.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Ma Po Tofu

or Dofu if you're cool.

Ingredients

• 1.5lbs soft (not silken) tofu
  
• 2tbsp chili bean sauce
  
• 1tbsp black bean sauce
  
• 4tbsp oyster sauce
  
• 1tbsp corn starch
  
• .25c peanut oil
  
• 4oz ground beef
  
• 1 lobe fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  
• 1tbsp garlic
  
• a few scallions, sliced
  
• 1/4c dry white wine (we actually used 1/8c mirin, and it worked?)
  
• 1 medium leek, cleaned and chopped
  
• 1/2c chicken stock (.5tsp bouillon plus water)
  
• 2tbsp soy sauce (we used a dark mushroom flavor soy sauce)
  
• cilantro, chopped (optional)
  

In a pot, bring water to a boil. Add tofu and remove from heat. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then remove from water and set aside. (I wonder what this does to the tofu...) In a wok or big pot, heat the peanut oil. Add ginger, garlic, scallions, and the beef and stir-fry until the beef is browned. Add the rice wine (or mirin) and cook until most of the moisture evaporates. Add the hot chili sauce, black bean paste, and oyster sauce. Stir together and cook for another minute until the oil separates. Add everything else except the corn starch and bring to a boil. Then add the corn starch (possibly whisked together with a little cold water) and stir until the sauce thickens. Top with chopped cilantro as desired. Serve over rice.

Thoughts: Claire thought this was a little spicy, but I really liked the amount of heat. Next time we'll probably add less chili sauce and we can do sriracha or something to taste. I felt that the leek was a little chewier than I'd have liked, and it didn't really add. I would replace it with more scallions. Also, the dish could have used a little more like 6oz of beef. Otherwise, it was really delicious.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Leek Rings

We saw this on Good Eats and thought it might be worth giving it a shot.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of vegetable oil
• One large leek, cleaned and trimmed of the dark green leaves
• 1.5 cups milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt plus more for seasoning

Put the vegetable oil in a saucepan and put over medium-high heat
Slice leeks into 1/2 inch rings and separate them.
Whisk together milk and egg.
In another bowl, combine the flour and salt. Then divide this mixture up into two equal portions in two shallow pans (or whatever you have).
Dip the rings in the 1st flour mixture, then dip them in the liquid mixture, then coat them in the 2nd flour mixture.
Fry the rings until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. Season with salt.

Thoughts: This was ok. Dan didn't like them one bit. I didn't necessarily MIND them, but after eating enough of them I got sort of sick because they were so greasy. And a lot of them got burned because we couldn't keep the oil at a stable temperature. Plus leeks aren't as flavorful as onions, so they sort of tasted like nothing. Just grease. I wouldn't recommend this.

Disaster Index: 7/10

Vichyssoise with Chilies

Like a traditional vichyssoise, but with a kick.

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
  
• 3 leeks, MOST of the green parts cut off, and washed
  
• 2 bigish russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  
• 5c water
  
• 2tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 4c 2% milk (or something equivalent in fat content)
  
• 3 jalapeño peppers, roasted (char the skins under the broiler for 15-20 min, then when they cool pull the skin off, cut and take out the seeds and membranes)
  
• salt to taste (probably about 3-4tsp)
  

Saute the onions and leeks with the butter. When the onions / leeks are soft, add the potatoes and water and about 2tsp salt. Bring it to a boil, and then simmer it until the potatoes are quite soft. Add the milk, and bring back to a boil. Now blend the soup along with the peppers (probably working in batches unless you have one hell of a big blender). Taste. Add salt until it's right. Mine took quite a bit. You're supposed to eat it chilled, but I served it warm because it's winter and we were impatient. But there's a lot left over. Garnish with chives.

Thoughts: Very nice taste, but not very thick. It would probably benefit from being chilled, so we'll see how that goes. The hotness wasn't overpowering. In the future, I'd like to do this with chipotles and see how that goes. Probably I should use heavy cream or half and half instead of 2%, but I don't really know. If I were doing a traditional vichyssoise, I'm sure I would.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Pasta with Squash and Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 red onion, chopped finely
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms, slices
  
• 1 small yellow squash, or 1/2 large yellow squash
• 1.5 cups chicken stock (or veg)
  
• 2 tbp dried parsley flakes
• 1 tbp Italian seasoning (or herbes de provence)
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 1 lb pasta (we used wavy egg noodles)
• 1 tbp butter
• a little olive oil (2 tbp?)
• 1/4 cup vermouth, to de-glaze pan

Start pasta water.
Chop the red onion, slice the leeks, and put them in a pan with some olive oil and the butter. Carmelize. De-glaze the pan with the vermouth, and add the chopped yellow squash and slices mushrooms.
Water should be boiling. Add pasta if it is.
Add parsley and Italian seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms and squash start to release their juices.
Add stock. Cook until stock is reduced, about 10 minutes.
The pasta should be done. Drain it and add to the sauce. Mix well.
Garnish with Romano or Parmesan or similar cheese.
Devour.

Thoughts: Awesome recipe. Dan recommends using pasta water to mix the stock (if you use powdered stock. This won't work if you use liquid stock) because then the stock will be thicker. I have no recommendations. This was totally awesome. Dan also thinks you could add a splash of lemon juice somewhere in there. The sauce is really low-cal and full of vegetables, so this dish is really good for you.

Disaster Index: 1/10

Sweet Potato Latkes

This was only somewhat disastrous.

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly grated (cuisinart works great for this)
  
• 2 smallish onions, chopped
  
• 2 leeks, washed and chopped
  
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  
• 3/4c flour
  
• 3 eggs
  
• salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley to taste
  

Combine everything in a big bowl, basically. That's pretty much it. Then form the pancakes and fry them in a thin layer of oil or PAM. Make sure the oil is good and hot. Then, put them on a plate with paper towels to drain the oil. Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt and apple sauce.

Thoughts: I had a very bad time trying to get these to NOT fall apart. This is because I didn't want the oil to smoke by heating it too much. Claire, on the other hand, was fearless and ultimately saved the day by figuring out how to cook them right. If I did these again, I'd want to have an electric skillet (a flat-bottomed pan didn't work so well) and I would use an oil with a higher smoke-point if I could find such a thing.

Disaster Index: 4/10 - Delicious, really, but so frustrating to cook correctly.