Puree of Leeks

Two ingredients. Leeks and butter. That’s all it takes to make one of the most elegant vegetable side dishes in the British-French cooking tradition. Thinly sliced leeks boiled until completely tender, pureed to a silky, pale green cream, then enriched with knobs of butter.

The beauty of this dish is its purity. Leeks have a delicate, sweet, onion-like flavor that gets concentrated during cooking and becomes almost creamy when pureed. No cream, no potato, no garlic to mask it. Just the clean, sweet taste of the leek itself.

Save the cooking liquor. The water the leeks boiled in is flavored with leek essence and can be used to thin the puree to your preferred consistency. It’s also a valuable base for soups and risottos.

Use both the white and tender green parts of the leeks. The greens add color and a slightly more assertive flavor that makes the puree look and taste more vibrant than using whites alone.

Chef Tips

• Slice the leeks very thin for the fastest, most even cooking.
• Cook until truly very tender. Undercooked leeks leave fibrous strings in the puree.
• Blend until completely smooth. A blender gives a silkier result than a food processor.
• Serve garnished with fresh coriander and triangles of fried bread for texture.
• Top with soft-boiled eggs for a quick vegetarian supper.