getting the mud out of leeks

canadianlbs

i just slice them and then dump them in water until all the dirt has settled, then skim them out for cooking. however, just started to feel a little anal about nutrient loss and all that since i slice them so thin.

is there some 'obvious' way to do it that i'm too busy being clever to know about? a mouthful of grit just ruins any end product for me. thanks.

French_Peasant

That's about how I do it as well, although I slice them about an inch long and then push the centers out of the greener end parts more likely to have grit. I am generally making potato leek soup with them.

Dreamyriver

I generally slice them in half vertically and just give them a quick shoosh under a running tap. Obviously, you have to make sure that the water is running from the bulb end to the dark green end so you're not pushing the soil further in

Then you can slice them as usual.

canadianlbs

jmbmilholland wrote: »

I am generally making potato leek soup with them.

cockaleekie cause i think i'm sick.

CattOfTheGarage

It's the most annoying thing about leeks, no question. I don't cut them into circles, as it's impossible to get the dirt out if you do that. Instead I cut the root off, half the whole thing lengthwise, and separate the layers to wash them. The worst bit is where a given layer diverges from the stem, you get a big lump of earth stuck to it sometimes.

I just wish they wouldn't earth them up so high, that's what causes it. I know, I know, the stem is meant to be white, but i'd rather have a green leek that's vaguely clean than a pretty white one that's full of soil. Same goes for celery.

CattOfTheGarage

I don't actually use them for soup. I use them for vegetarian dishes, eg veg stews, where the combination of all the veg can make the final result a bit too sweet without any meat to offset it. Leeks are less sugary than onions so they balance the flavours better.

Or they're nice instead of onions in plain stovies to go with fish instead of meat - leek instead of onions and butter instead of dripping.