Braised Celery And Leeks With Vanilla Food

QUICK BRAISED CELERY AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Trim the top and bottom stump from the head of celery. Rinse well. Set aside the innermost leafy stalks.
• Prepare the leeks: Cut off the bottom stump and dark green tops and discard, leaving the white and light green section. Slice the leeks lengthwise through the center. Place the long halves flat-side down on a cutting board, and slice the leeks into 1/4-inch thick semicircles. Rinse well.TIP: You can use the dark green leek tops for chicken stock.
• Heat a braising dish or 10" skillet with a lid over medium-low heat with the butter and thyme. When the butter has melted, add the leeks and stir. Stir in 1/4 cup of broth or water, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Reduce the heat to the lower side of medium-low and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring with some frequency, until the leeks are very soft. TIP: The goal here is to not get too much color on the leeks. Check the leeks once or twice while cooking. If they look dry or brown, stir in an additional tablespoon of water.
• Remove the lid and give the leeks a stir. Lay the long celery stalks on top of the leeks in a single layer. Add the remaining water or broth and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and some turns of fresh black pepper.
• Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the celery is al dente.
• Fish out the thyme sprigs and taste for seasoning. Transfer the celery to a serving platter. If liquid remains in the pan, stir the leeks and cook, uncovered, until most of the liquid has absorbed and the leeks look very melted and saucy.
• Spoon the leeks over the celery and garnish the dish with some more black pepper, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and some reserved celery leaves. Serve immediately.

BRAISED CELERY

Steps:

• Saute 1 sliced onion in a skillet with butter until golden. Add 1 chopped carrot, fresh oregano, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Peel 1 bunch celery; cut into long pieces and add to the skillet with 1 cup chicken broth. Cover and simmer until just tender, 20 minutes; uncover and boil to thicken. Stir in more butter and chopped parsley.

BALSAMIC CARAMELIZED LEEKS, CARROTS, AND CELERY

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir leeks until softened, about 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, vegetable broth, and balsamic vinegar; cook and stir until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir brown sugar into leek mixture until dissolved and mixture is lightly browned, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

BRAISED CELERY

Steps:

• Peel any of the fibrous outer stalks of celery with a vegetable peeler and slice into 1-inch pieces on the bias.
• Heat the butter in a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the celery, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until just beginning to soften slightly. Add the beef broth and stir to combine. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the celery is tender but not mushy, approximately 5 minutes. Uncover and allow the celery to continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the liquid has been reduced to a glaze. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the reserved leaves.

BRAISED CELERY WITH PARMESAN

Steps:

• Peel the tough, fibrous layers from the outer celery ribs. Split the ribs lengthwise and cut into 2 to 3-inch long pieces. Chop 2 tablespoons of the celery leaves, save the rest for other uses¿they are great in salads.
• Put the celery, broth, olive oil, garlic, celery seeds, and thyme in a medium skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, and then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Place a circle of parchment paper directly on the vegetables or set a lid slightly ajar on the skillet. Cook until the celery is tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a serving dish, and reduce the cooking liquid to a saucy glaze. Remove the thyme sprig, and pour the cooking liquid over the celery, sprinkle with the cheese, and serve.

BRAISED LEEKS WITH SEL DE MER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the leeks into a baking dish and pour the wine over them. Dot the leeks with butter and sprinkle with sel de mer. Place uncovered in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are fork tender. Remove from the braising liquid and serve immediately.

EASY BRAISED LEEKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Trim off the roots and dark green parts of the leeks. Slice the leeks in half lengthwise. Place the leeks in a large bowl of cold water, cut side down, and allow them to sit about 10 minutes, until the grit falls to the bottom of the bowl. Lift the leeks out of the bowl and change the water, rinsing the leeks again, checking between the folds to make sure all the grit is gone. Dry the leeks with a paper towel.
• Spray a 9x13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set the leeks in the baking dish, cut side up. Brush with the olive oil. Roast 20 minutes, tossing halfway through to make sure they don't get too brown. Pour vegetable broth over the leeks. Roast another 10 minutes or until leeks are tender. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

BRAISED LEEKS & PEAS

Steps:

• Discard outer, darker, tougher leaves from the leeks, then halve each into 2 shorter lengths and rinse under cold running water.
• Pour the chicken or veg stock into a large, wide shallow pan, then scatter in the garlic and thyme sprigs. Lay the leeks in the pan, trying not to crowd them, then season with pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 mins until almost tender. Tip in the peas, bring back to the boil and simmer for a further 5 mins until the veg is cooked. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the leeks, peas and garlic to a warm serving dish, season with extra pepper, drizzle over the olive oil and finish with a scattering of thyme leaves.

BRAISED LEEKS

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, trim most of the roots off the end of the leek, leaving enough so that the leek remains attached at the bottom. Cut each leek lengthwise into halves and then cut each half into inch long pieces. Soak leeks in a large bowl of cool water to allow any dirt to settle to the bottom.
• In a saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks to the skillet. Cook the leeks, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle with thyme and cook one minute more.
• Add stock, reduce heat to medium low. Braise the leeks, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the leeks are very tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

TENDER BRAISED LEEKS

Steps:

• Trim the darkest green part off the leeks and strip away the first two layers. Cut in half lengthways, but keep attached at the root. Wash the leeks under cold running water and set aside. Tip all the other ingredients, except the olives and parsley, into a wide shallow pan with 200ml water, some cracked pepper and a sprinkling of salt.
• Slip the leeks into the pan, cover and place over a low heat. Gently simmer for 20 mins, turning them occasionally until very tender - a knife blade should slip in easily. Leave to cool until just warm, then stir through the parsley and olives, if you like. Serve the leeks as they are with crusty bread or with roast chicken or fish.