I’ve got creative ideas for cooking with leeks during winter:

1.  Leek Bread Pudding

Watching Thomas Keller cook Leek Bread Pudding on tv is the reason I bought his book, Ad Hoc at Home. Buttery leeks, chives, thyme, shredded Comté cheese and brioche bread baked in a hot oven until the custard is bubbling and golden brown is a temptation I cannot resist.  Don’t worry if your find the recipe too restrictive, I simply took the inspiration and ran with it. Cream, eggs, and butter meet bread, leeks, and cheese, you’ll be very happy together.

2.  Leek Fritters

Leeks love to be fried in hot oil. The delicate pale green flesh turns crispy and delicious, not unlike their cousins the onion. In Plenty, Yotam Ottolenghi shares a family recipe for Leek Fritters inspired by an uncle’s Turkish roots. Leeks are sliced then sautéed in butter until softened. The fritter combines the leeks with chile, parsley, spices (coriander, cumin, tumeric, and cinnamon) and sugar. The mixture is tossed into a milky batter and the fritter batter is dolloped onto  a hot pan and cooked until golden and crisp. The author gives instructions for a yogurt sauce, but concedes that a squirt of lemon juice is the only garnish these fritters really need.

3.  Leek Pizza

Leeks sweated in butter until tender are a fantastic pizza topping. The Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza & Calzone Book suggests tossing cooked leeks, goat cheese, and thinly sliced pancetta atop a pizza before baking. Pull the hot pizza from the oven and drizzle with a fine extra-virgin olive oil. Savory leeks balance the sweetness of onions in  this Six-Onion Pizza by Michael Leviton featured over at Saveur. White onions are stewed with thyme, then puréed for the pizza “sauce.” Sautéed leeks, shallot, and red onions are the pizza topping. Just before serving, scallions and chives are used as a garnish. Talk about layering the flavors!

4.  Leeks and Potato Soup

Everyone should have a good leek and potato soup in their repertoire- one that is simple, sophisticated, and comforting in the winter months. The recipe I keep close at hand is Potato and Leek Soup with Tarragon and Fennel Seeds from Bistro Cooking at Home. Leeks and potato are cooked in vermouth and chicken stock flavored with bay, tarragon, fennel seed, and a pinch of cayenne. The soup is puréed and a splash of heavy cream adds to the velvety richness. This Potato Leek Soup from Martha Stewart is more rustic, with cubes of yukon gold potatoes suspended in a purée flavored with leeks, garlic, and shallots. The rosemary in this soup adds a stronger, piney flavor, which is nice for winter too.

5.  Grilled Leeks

One of my all-time favorite Jamie Oliver recipes is Roasted Concertina Squid with Grilled Leeks and a Warm Chorizo Dressing from Jamie at Home. Maybe it’s because of the fantastic tv series of the same name in which he cooked this dish outside on the grill, using a wood-burning pizza oven to roast the squid. I loved watching Jamie cook outside, plucking veg from the garden right when he needed it. Also, I’ve got a thing for squid. In the recipe, parboiled leeks are slathered in olive oil and charred on the grill with fennel and radicchio. A warm chorizo dressing is made by pan-frying chopped chorizo sausage, rosemary, and garlic, then adding a splash of balsamic vinegar. The quickly roasted squid and char-grilled veg is dressed with the spicy-sweet vinaigrette and served warm.

6.  Leeks Vinaigrette

Leeks Vinaigrette is a classic French dish. It’s an example of appreciating the beauty in freshly harvested, seasonal produce by keeping the preparation simple. In Heart of the Artichoke, David Tanis writes, “in a Parisian brasserie, the presentation of simple humble vegetables dressed with vinaigrette is raised to a fine art.” His meal begins with a trio of salads: roasted beet, julienned carrot, and leeks vinaigrette, which is boiled leeks served with a Dijon mustard and caper dressing. Nancy Silverman shares an Italian take on Leeks Vinaigrette in The Mozza Cookbook. She tops the tender leeks with mustard infused breadcrumbs and a side of Burrata.

7.  Leek Gratin

Buttery, succulent leeks were made for gratins. The book, Vegetables from an Italian Garden includes instructions for Potato, Cheese, and Leek Gratin that call for the potatoes to be mashed with mascarpone before going into a buttered dish covered in breadcrumbs. Sautéed leeks and onions are added to the gratin which is brushed with butter and baked until golden brown. This recipe for Potato and Celery Root Gratin with Leeks by Susan Spungen over at Bon Appétit is more traditional with the thinly root vegetables layered in cream and cheese.

8.  Roasted Fish on a Bed of Leeks

For me, the combination of sweet, briny seafood and buttery leeks is pure magic. I like to parboil the leeks, then nestle them into an oven safe dish and place a white fleshed fish like halibut or sea bass on top. Just roast the fish in the oven with a bit of olive oil and citrus juice, and watch as the briny juices drip over the leeks. Scallops would be lovely roasted atop leeks as well.

9.  Quiche with Leeks

The mild flavor of leeks is a good match for egg dishes, like quiche. I found this Bacon-and-Leek Quiche by Grace Parisi over at Food & Wine. I can think of several variations on your basic quiche recipe: leek and Swiss chard, leek and broccoli, or leek and mushroom. Highlight the flavor of leeks with fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, tarragon, or chive. Nutty Gruyére cheese melts beautifully and won’t overpower the mellow leeks.

10.  Leeks in a Terrine

Stéphane Reynaud uses leeks in several recipes throughout his book, Terrine. I especially love the layered look of terrines during the holidays, the festive colors and decorative shapes of the vegetables are fun for a dinner party or appetizer buffet. His Terrine of Baby Leeks is composed of chopped celery root, sliced onions and carrots, and whole baby leeks. The Root Vegetable Terrine is a mosaic of colors with leeks, carrots, potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, and turnips. What better way to celebrate winter veg than in a terrine?

What is your favorite way to cook with leeks? Let me know in the comments section. Click Here.