Sound the same; Two very different things:
Leeks – An onion flavored vegetable
Leaks – An annoying, weekend-ruining chore
Leeks – Good for your heart and cholesterol
Leaks – Bad for your budget and blood pressure
Leeks – A diverse food you can lovingly prepare for your spouse
Leaks – A project the wise spouse will hire a professional to do
… ‘nough said, moving on… :)

My Uncle Rick and his wife come to visit every so often.  When they do, I always try to impress him with my culinary genius (haha).  He is a self-taught master chef and foodie and I love cooking with/for him.  No matter what I cook, there is one recipe that he requests over and over.   So, in honor of his coming birthday, here it is: Creamed Leeks and Chicken over pasta, served with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Before we get started, let me explain a couple things about the Leek.  Leeks are grown primarily in sand and sandy soil which does make them a little difficult to clean and prepare.  They are highly underused by most cooks and I believe this is because the majority of people just do not know what to do with them.  They are a lot like an overgrown chive.  They have the same flavor profile and can be used much in the same way.  They are an awesome and healthly substitute for onions in soups and stews and salads.  So really, the sky is the limit!

~Serves 4-6~

Food Stuffs:

3 Chicken Breasts – sliced into thin, 1in pieces
3 -4 Large Leeks
4 c Skim Milk (you can use whole or 2% if you prefer)
1c Half and Half or light whipping cream
1 c Parmesan cheese
1 stick butter
Garlic powder, Sea salt, Pepper, Cayenne pepper

*We are going to use Fettuccine noodles for this dish, so don’t forget that they take a little longer to cook.  Fill a pot with salted water and bring to boil.  Cook noodles until they are al dente.  Strain and rinse.

Let’s get the hard part over with while the noodles are cooking.  Cleaning a Leek can be a little tricky because they are packed full of little pieces of sand.  There is nothing worse that biting into your food, only to experience that awful crunch of sand between your teeth! Blehk!!!  So it is very important that we remove all the sand.  To do this, we cut the Leek length wise, from tip to tip – be sure to remove the bottom roots.  Now, cut the Leeks into 1/2 in thick slices just as you would if you were chopping celery for a salad.  Fill a large bowl with cold water and place the Leeks in the bowl.  Stir the Leeks and then let sit for about 5 min.  Gently skim the Leeks from the bowl, being careful not to stir the sand from the bottom of the bowl.  Once this is done, pour off the sandy water and repeat the process.  I ALWAYS do one final rinse using a colander to ensure that no sand is left on my Leeks.  Set the Leeks aside and let’s move on.

In a cast iron skillet, heat olive oil and sear off your chicken, adding a light sprinkle of sea salt and pepper to season your meat – DO NOT FULLY COOK THE CHICKEN!  Searing the meat at this stage will allow for a richer flavor without drying out the chicken.   Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Using the same skillet, melt the butter and then add the Leeks.  Cook the Leeks on high heat until they are soft and the juices start to cook down.  Reduce your heat to Med and then add milk, half and half, parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, and a shake or two of cayenne pepper.  Allow the sauce to reduce until it begins to thicken.  Add in chicken and cook for another 4 min on Med-Low heat.  Do not allow the sauce to boil as this will break down your sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.

*We like our sauce a little thicker but do not like the added calories of heavy whipping cream, which is why I use the skim milk and half and half.  I use a flour slurry to thicken the sauce. (2TBS flour, 1/2c milk, stir-stir-stir, and whip into the sauce).  If you prefer to keep the dish Gluten Free (i.e. without the slurry), you could omit the milk and just use half and half and heavy whipping cream. (2 cups each)

To plate this dish, simply pile warm noodles onto a large serving dish, top with the chicken and Leeks and sprinkle on a little Parmesan cheese.  Toss up a salad and add a steaming loaf of fresh french bread and you have an easy-to-make gourmet meal.

I recommend an Australian or Chilean Sauvignon Blanc as they tend to be the less acidic and the smoother of the Sauvignons.

**For my Uncle Rick – Who has been like a father to me and whom I love and respect, deeply.  Happy Birthday!