BUTTER-STEAMED LEEKS WITH FRESH TARRAGON
- 4 large or 6 small leeks, white part only
- 1 tablespoon butter
- One 6-inch sprig fresh tarragon
- Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- ½ cup Cheater’s Homemade Broth, chicken or vegetable
- About â…“ cup water
- 1½ tablespoons heavy whipping cream, sour
- cream, or plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
Instructions:
Gentle and timeless, leeks braised with tarragon, butter, and wine are considered the training-wheels recipe for these most-ignored members of the onion family.
- Trim away the leeks’ roots and greens. You want the white and very palest green parts of the stalk. If the outer layer of white is tough, trim that away as well. To clean, make a deep vertical cut down the length of each stalk to allow water between the layers. Soak them in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. Dry with paper towels.
- Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over mediumhigh heat, and add the leeks, tarragon, and salt and pepper. Sauté to barely browned on all sides. Blend in the wine and broth. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the leeks are tender.
- When the leeks are done, carefully lift them to a platter. Add the water to the skillet, and boil down the pan juices until they are almost syrupy. Add the cream and simmer for 30 seconds. Pour the sauce over the leeks, and sprinkle with the chopped tarragon.