Leeks-n-Shrooms
Leeks-n-Shrooms has been my go-to dish when I need to produce a cooked green vegetable for a special occasion. When I added it to our family's Christmas menu after Mama swore up and down to me that my sister-in-law hates kale (she doesn't), it got rave reviews. A couple of years later it turned out that even a cousin who doesn't eat vegetables went back for seconds! It has held an unassailable place on the menu ever since. :)
It just goes to show that you don't need fancy modern recipes to please the crowds. This is based on a cross between a pair of recipes (Slete Soppes and Funges) that are hundreds of years old.
This recipe is very easy, very forgiving, and very tasty.
Leeks-n-Shrooms
Trim the roots and scruffy ends from the leeks, but there is no need to discard the greens as many leek recipes direct. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into lengthwise quarters. Chop the quarters crosswise mostly into pieces about the width of your finger, but cut the tougher green ends into narrower strips.
Clean the the chopped leeks thoroughly! See Tips below if you've never done this before.
Clean the mushrooms if necessary. If you purchased whole ones, slice or quarter them.
Warm 2 Tablespoons of oil (or melt butter) in a wide pot (I use either a 12" frying pan or a 5-quart dutch oven) over medium-high heat, and stir in the mushrooms.
I prefer my mushrooms to be cooked thoroughly with no remaining hint of rawness, so I fry them for a few minutes by themselves first. However, you can add the leeks at the same time if you like.
Add a little more oil if it looks like anything is trying to stick or burn before they start sweating out moisture (portobellas are not as quick to sweat as white mushrooms are).
Stir in the leeks and cook for a couple of minutes, before optionally adding wine. The goal here is to attempt at least a little browning and caramelization before you switch to steaming/boiling them until done.
Once some moisture sweats out of the vegetables or you have added wine, season to taste with bouillon or salt.
Reduce heat to medium or low, and optionally cover, but continue stirring occasionally, until leeks have fully collapsed. Be careful not to cook much longer than that - it will still taste great, but it will stop being full of pretty greens.
Season with garam masala. It can be more assertive than you'd think, so start with only a little, and taste before adding more.
Enjoy!
Crossposted from http://montuos.dreamwidth.org/1741752.html ;
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It just goes to show that you don't need fancy modern recipes to please the crowds. This is based on a cross between a pair of recipes (Slete Soppes and Funges) that are hundreds of years old.
This recipe is very easy, very forgiving, and very tasty.
Leeks-n-Shrooms
- 4 large (1" diameter) leeks
- 2 pounds mushrooms (I prefer baby bellas, but any mushrooms you like will do fine)
- 2-4 Tablespoons oil or butter
- 2-4 teaspoons/cubes chicken or vegetable bouillon, or just plain salt, to taste Optional:
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1-4 teaspoons garam masala
Trim the roots and scruffy ends from the leeks, but there is no need to discard the greens as many leek recipes direct. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into lengthwise quarters. Chop the quarters crosswise mostly into pieces about the width of your finger, but cut the tougher green ends into narrower strips.
Clean the the chopped leeks thoroughly! See Tips below if you've never done this before.
Clean the mushrooms if necessary. If you purchased whole ones, slice or quarter them.
Warm 2 Tablespoons of oil (or melt butter) in a wide pot (I use either a 12" frying pan or a 5-quart dutch oven) over medium-high heat, and stir in the mushrooms.
I prefer my mushrooms to be cooked thoroughly with no remaining hint of rawness, so I fry them for a few minutes by themselves first. However, you can add the leeks at the same time if you like.
Add a little more oil if it looks like anything is trying to stick or burn before they start sweating out moisture (portobellas are not as quick to sweat as white mushrooms are).
Stir in the leeks and cook for a couple of minutes, before optionally adding wine. The goal here is to attempt at least a little browning and caramelization before you switch to steaming/boiling them until done.
Once some moisture sweats out of the vegetables or you have added wine, season to taste with bouillon or salt.
Reduce heat to medium or low, and optionally cover, but continue stirring occasionally, until leeks have fully collapsed. Be careful not to cook much longer than that - it will still taste great, but it will stop being full of pretty greens.
Season with garam masala. It can be more assertive than you'd think, so start with only a little, and taste before adding more.
Enjoy!
- Tips
- Gritty greens are no fun to eat. Put the chopped leeks into a large container of tepid to slightly warm water, and soak for up to an hour to loosen the dirt better, if you have time for that. Scrub them well between your hands to remove all dirt. Scoop leeks out with a colander (that is, lift the leeks out of the dirty water rather than pouring all the mud and sand back into the leeks when you drain them) and discard the dirty water. If your leeks were especially dirty, or if your washing container was too crowded to scrub well, you might want to wash them a second time.
- You can trim and wash the leeks several days in advance of cooking. Drain the leeks as well as you can, and refrigerate them until needed in a container lined with paper towels to absorb any remaining water.
- Garam masala can be found in Indian and international grocery stores, and is readily available from online retailers. I like Laxmi brand; The Spice Hunter is also good. If you don't have ready access to this spice blend and don't want to indulge in mail order, mix together several of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and/or black pepper.
- To serve as a soup-like dish more like the original, add real broth or one cup of water per teaspoon of bouillon when you reach that step, and serve over toast or croutons in bowls.
- Leftovers will be even tastier the next day, but they won't be as pretty, so this isn't the best make-ahead dish.
Crossposted from http://montuos.dreamwidth.org/1741752.html ;
comments on original post. If you do not have a Dreamwidth ID and you want to read comments on protected posts there, you can log in with OpenID using your LJ ID.