Sauteed Leeks

Sublimely elegant, supremely simple and surprisingly simple sauteed leeks can easily become a favorite because they are both mildly familiar in flavor and at the same time unique. Leeks have a very mild onion-y and vaguely garlic-y flavor to them but only enough so that if you pay attention you recognize the taste but not so strong that you eating onions.

Buying leeks is easy, they are usually rubber banded together into groups of 2 or 3 depending on your market. I find 3 nice size leeks to be perfect for 2-3 servings so you can up-size based on your needs. Fresh leeks have a dark green leaf on top which fades to white on the bottom. When selecting leeks the bottom (the white part) should be firm and solid if there is any real give pass them by because they are really old.

Ingredients:
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Tbs Unsalted Butter
1/3 Cup White Wine
3 Large Leeks

Preparation:
Like all leafy vegetables leeks tend to pick-up bits of grit and sand as they sprout from the soil and need to be cleaned thoroughly. Start by trimming away the inedible tops and the root bottom. I save the tops in the freezer for making stock but that's another story. Splint the leeks length wise and then slice the halves about 1/4 inch wide. Place the cut leeks in a colander an rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain.

In your favorite straight sided sautee pan add the olive oil and butter and heat the pan on high heat until the butter is completely melted and stopped bubbling. The bubbling is the water in the butter boiling off. When the pan is ready add your leeks.

Stirring occasionally let the leeks cook until they start to get a little brown on the edges and are tender all the way through, about 5-7 minutes depending on the quantity. Without lowering the heat add your wine. Stir your leeks in the wine to make sure they are all treated to nice drink. Cook until almost all of the wine is gone.