Braised Leeks With Orange Food

BRAISED LEEKS WITH ORANGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a very large ovenproof skillet with a lid over medium high. Add oil and swirl to coat pan. Add leeks in as close to a single layer as possible. Cook until beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add orange juice and stock and season with 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt. Turn leeks over and place oranges and thyme on top. Bring liquid to a boil.
• Cover and place in oven until leeks are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn oranges over, spooning some liquid over the top. Return to oven, uncovered, and cook until oranges and leeks are browning and liquid is syrupy, spooning liquid over the top twice, about 30 minutes more. If necessary, remove from oven and boil over high heat until liquid reaches desired consistency, about 1 minute more.

BRAISED ORANGE BRISKET

Steps:

• Puree 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, the tomato paste, mustard, chili sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic and five-spice powder in a food processor until smooth. Season the brisket with salt and pepper and rub with the spice paste. Place in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Heat the vegetable oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Sear the brisket until golden, about 7 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate. Cook the onion in the pot until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks, carrots and parsnips, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 1/4 cups orange juice concentrate and the broth, scraping up the browned bits in the pot. Add the brisket and bring to a simmer.
• Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and cook 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and continue to cook until the meat is fork-tender, about 2 more hours. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Skim the fat from the sauce, then return the pot to the oven until the sauce thickens slightly, about 30 minutes. Slice the meat and serve with the sauce and vegetables. Garnish with scallions.

BALSAMIC BRAISED LEEKS AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat the oil and cook the leeks and peppers, gently and covered for 20 minutes.
• Add vinegar and cook for a further 10 mins uncovered.
• The liquid should have evaporated, if not cook until it has.
• Stir in the parsley, season if needed and dish up.

TURKISH LEEKS IN OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Trim leeks and remove a few of the outer layers.
• Slice 3/4" thick, discard tough green leaves.
• Wash leeks well in several changes of water.
• In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil.
• Stir in leeks and carrots.
• Cover and cook very gently (low heat) for 30 minutes, shaking the skillet occasionally.
• Blend in the remaining ingredients in order.
• Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes, checking the liquid and adding more water, if necessary.
• When fully cooked, it should be very moist but not watery.

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.

TURKISH-STYLE BRAISED LEEKS

Steps:

• Cut the leeks crosswise into pieces about 2 inches long, then slice in half lengthwise. Wash the leeks very well.
• In a large skillet or saucepan, combine the leeks, oil and carrots over medium-high heat. Stir gently every once in a while, until the leeks are slightly softened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the stock or water, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until leeks are very tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and olives and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature, uncovered, about 45 minutes. Stir in the parsley, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

STRIPED BASS WITH BRAISED LEEKS, ORANGE, AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using 1 tablespoon oil, brush bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish and an 8-inch square of parchment paper. Place leeks in dish, cut sides up, alternating root ends with tops for a snug fit. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Arrange half the thyme and half the orange slices over leeks, and pour orange juice over top. Cover with parchment paper, oiled side down. Braise until leeks are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Season fish with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Remove parchment. Arrange fish over orange slices. Top with olives and remaining thyme and orange. Cover with the parchment; bake until fish flakes easily, about 15 minutes.
• Divide fish, olives, and orange slices among plates. Season leeks with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and add to plates. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

BRAISED LEEKS WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet.
• Add garlic and heat slowly until it begins to flavor oil, about 2 minutes.
• Add leeks and carrots, tossing gently to coat with oil and garlic.
• Add 2TB water, reduce heat, cover, and cook about 20minutes until leeks and carrots are soft.
• Remove lid, increase heat, and stir vegetable mix until thoroughly cooked, and most of the moisture is removed.
• Serve hot as an interesting side dish.

FRENCH BRAISED LEEKS WITH DIJON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Cut the root end off the leeks, as well as the dark green stem end, leaving just the white and light green portion. Split them lengthwise and remove the outer two layers. Wash thoroughly under running water, being careful to rinse between layers to remove any grit. Shake off the excess water.
• Rub the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed skillet with the softened butter, then lay the leeks, cut side down, in the pan. They should fit snugly in one layer across the pan. Pour the wine and Chicken Stock over the leeks, sprinkle with salt and a little pepper, then cover with waxed paper or parchment (which will keep the tops of the leeks moist), and bring the liquid to a boil.
• Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. Use a small spatula or tongs to turn the leeks once, halfway through the cooking process. When cooked, the leeks should be completely tender and not stringy. Turn them over once more, so the outer layers are facing up. To test doneness, I usually just peel off one or two outer layers, the last to get cooked, and sample them (if they are the least bit tough, cook for another 5 minutes).
• Remove pan from the heat and cool. If there are more than 2 tablespoons of juices left in the pan, remove the leeks to a serving platter and reduce the juices to 2 tablespoons. Reserve juices for the Dijon vinaigrette.
• Pour the dressing over the leeks and let sit for at least 10 minutes. These leeks are wonderful served warm or cold, but I like them best at room temperature.
• Dijon Vinaigrette
• Whisk together the shallot, mustard, vinegar, and pan juices in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

BRAISED LEEKS WITH LEMONS

Steps:

• Place leeks in 2 layers in a 14-by-9-by-2-inch oval dish. Pour broth over leeks. Place lemon slices evenly over leeks. Drizzle olive oil over lemons.
• Cover tightly with microwave plastic wrap. Cook at 100 percent power in a high-power oven for 50 minutes. Prick plastic to release steam.
• Remove from oven and uncover. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold.

BRAISED ORANGE ROUGHY WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sprinkle with sugar and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté 5 minutes. Reduce heat and cover and cook until very soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season fish with salt and pepper. Arrange atop leeks. Add cream and vermouth. Cover and cook until fish is opaque, about 8 minutes. Transfer fish to plates and keep warm.
• Boil sauce until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top fish with sauce and leeks. Garnish with chives.