Braised Leeks

At the Farmers Market in Santa Barbara I found the most beautiful leeks, and I knew I had to buy them. I began by cutting the leeks in half, and chopping off the bottom and tops and letting them rinse in some water. Let them sit in the water for 20 minutes, as leeks can have some dirt inside the folds, it’s just how it grows! but it’s important to rinse off before cooking.

I heated the stove top to medium and warmed the pan with a little sesame oil, salt and pepper, and chopped garlic, added the leeks flat side down, searing both sides. Let the leeks sear and cook 4 minutes each side. Once you have a nice crisp, lower the heat, add some braising liquid, and cover for 7 minutes.

While that was cooking, I chopped some cabbage, asparagus, garlic, and green onion. Once the leeks were cooked through, I removed leeks and placed to the side. I added the cabbage, garlic, asparagus and green onion to the pan and mixed in remaining oils, and cooked on high for 7 minutes.