Sprung A Leek - Recap

Alton opens flipping through his family album. There’s that time he put superglue in his sister’s lip gloss. Ah, memories! But people aren’t the only ones with families. Vegetables have families, too. The Allium family contains some of the most potent culinary contributors to world cuisine. The globe onion has become a part of many recipes the world over, despite the fact that he’s a little one-dimensional, and a pain in the eye to work with. His stinky cousin garlic manages to knock every other ingredient out cold. The shallot combines them both, a cross of red onion and garlic and very popular with chefs. She, Alton says, is another show. But there is a member of the Allium family waiting in the wings for his chance. The leek has a smooth and sophisticated flavor that presents itself well and at the same time plays nicely with other ingredients. Versatile and easy to work with, leeks are definitely... Good Eats!

“Great Moments in Leek History” reveals that the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians and Assyrians revered the leek as a cure for grey hair. Whether they applied it externally or internally remains a mystery of history...

Back in the present Alton visits the grocery store to explain more. Most folks believe the leek is simply a mature scallion, but this is untrue. It is its own plant; a mature scallion is a bulb onion. Like other Alliums, leeks have tight concentric rings (actually leaves that grow concentrically). Avoid bunched leeks (buy them individually) and select plants of similar diameter, so they have similar cooking properties. Alton prefers about 1½” plants with nice, tight skin and bright green leaves.

In his kitchen Alton explains that leeks are tightly layered leaves (just like onions). As they push through the soil, they trap dirt. To remove that dirt Alton uses a specific technique. He specifically wishes to avoid pushing any of his knives through that kind of grit, comparing it to fingernails on a chalkboard. First, he removes the leaves and the roots. Then he splits the leek along its long axis and gently swishes it in water until dirt and grit float out. To store them, Alton wraps them in a paper towel and stores them in a zip top bag for easy refrigerator storage.

Alton starts with Grilled and Braised Leeks, a perfect recipe for the outdoor grill. Alton brushes his leeks with a little bacon fat and dusts them with salt, then grills them (cut side down) until they have good grill marks – just a few minutes. They char easily so Alton watches them carefully. When the leeks are grilled Alton drizzles on some dark vinegar (either balsamic or sherry will do) and cooks them with indirect heat in a foil pouch for about ten more minutes until they’re just barely softened. Leeks cooked this way go well with bacon, goat cheese, peppers, green salad, roast chicken – practically anything. That, says Alton, is the nature of leeks.

“Great Moments in Leek History” takes us back to the time of Rome, specifically, Emperor Nero who might top the list of craziest emperors ever. Nero ate leeks daily, claiming they preserved his voice; he ate so many he earned a nickname, “Porropagus” or “leek-eater.” Crazy he was but he might have got that one right: leeks appeared in early cough drop formulae. En route to the present, Alton stops at the “Pig Stand” in 1929 America. There he tells the story of a cook who accidentally knocked some cut onions into batter, ruining them – until he decided to try frying them. That marked the birth of the onion ring. Well, one version of it, anyhow.

In his kitchen again Alton talks about the onion ring. It seems that onions give up so much moisture the breading often slides right off. Leeks contain less moisture so they’re better for breading and frying. Alton proposes leek rings as a replacement for onion rings. The keys to frying success include proper work flow, good temperature control, and good procedure. Alton has cut leeks into rings about ½” thick. Next to that bowl he has arrayed three bread pans. Two on the ends contain a mixture of flour and salt while the middle contains a mixture of milk and egg. Next to that, a pot, with thermometer, to heat oil to 375º F. This setup provides work flow and temperature control; the rest is procedure. Without the right procedure, the cook will develop “club hand” quickly. That is, he’ll manage to break his own hand as much as the food in question! To prevent this, Alton uses one hand to dip the rings in flour and then, when they’re coated, to lift them out and drop them in the milk. The other hand lifts them from the milk and drops the back into the other flour bin. And the first (dry) hand lifts them out of the second flour bin and into the oil. A spider also works, and might be safer, for putting the rings into the oil. Certainly one must use a spider to get the rings out of the oil – and that that will only take a short time, because leeks are so much smaller than onions. Check them after thirty seconds, and expect them to take about a minute and a half.

Another episode of “Great Moments in Leek History” takes us to 640AD and a battle between the Welsh and the Saxons. At the urging of the future Saint David the Welsh army put leeks into their hats to identify each other. And thus was born camouflage.

In his kitchen, Alton assembles vichyssoise. First he melts some butter in a large sauce pan. Next, he takes a quantity of leeks (split as for grilling) and cuts each carefully twice more, to make wedges about a “sixth” of leek around. Leeks contain almost none of the sulfur compounds found in globe onions so cutting won’t make the cook sob. Alton pours his cut leeks go into the melted butter to “sweat.” If the leaks jump in the pan or turn brown turn down the heat – they won’t taste good. When the sweat finishes in about twenty minutes, Alton adds Yukon Gold potatoes and vegetable broth and brings the mixture to a boil. Alton recommends carton style vegetable broth (organic) over canned, which he believes has an unpleasant cooked flavor. Reducing the heat to a simmer, he cooks this for forty-five minutes. When the potatoes are done he turns off the heat and purees the mixture with a stick blender until it’s smooth, then adds some heavy cream, buttermilk and white pepper.

Alton could puree his soup using a food mill or a bar blender. But Alton’s got a better answer. Donning a plastic bag with arm and neck holes cut out, and a pair of goggles, he readies his 700w stick blender (it’s longer than a grown man’s leg). And that’s when W appears, to explain that wattage isn’t the most important factor. It’s just one factor; it measures electricity used, not the amount of work done or the quality of the work. W demonstrates with a 1000w blender... that has lousy torque conversion. It simply won’t do the job! She recommends blenders with two speeds, a long metal shaft and a sturdy blade. Alton asks about attachments. They just clutter things up. Then he asks about cordless models. Unless they are gas or nuclear powered, W gives them a flat thumbs down.

On “Strange Leek Facts” viewers learn that in certain parts of North Umberland, England, many men’s clubs hold leek pageants. In the days leading up to such contests, plots and counterplots abound, and the leeks themselves are carefully cleaned and their roots combed!

Back in the kitchen, Alton finishes pureeing with his W-approved stick blender. Then he adds the finishing dairy: heavy cream and buttermilk. He adds the cream to the buttermilk first, which dilutes it and prevents the hot soup from curdling it. As he adds it, he runs the stick blender to integrate it. Then a little finely ground white pepper, the last spice.

Alton enjoys his soup piping hot in the winter, perhaps with a side of leek rings. In the summer he eats it cold with chives. Either way, the soup is delicious!

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