May 24 2009
Cleaning Leeks
Leeks may look like oversized scallions, but they are by no means as tidy as their little cousins. Many people have made the mistake of rinsing the outside of a leek, then chopping it and adding it to a dish only to get that dreaded and
disturbing crunch of dirt in every bite. Most people don’t make this mistake twice.
Leeks trap sand and dirt between their layers while growing, so merely rinsing the outside won’t do.
First, trim the root ends and the darker green portions of the tops. Then split the leeks into halves, lengthwise.
Rinse the halves under cold running water, fanning the layers to check for persistent dirt – fanning like you
would the pages of a book. The leeks can then be safely chopped across the grain, which will produce several
D-shaped pieces about 1/4 inch thick.