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Feature Articles  

What  are Leeks?

Meet a Not-Too-Famous Onion

Discovering What We Don’t Know About Leeks

Alien Encounters:

Drumming Up Inspiration for Strange-Sounding Vegetables

A Week of Leeks:

Get to know Leeks, 7 Easy Ways

In Every Issue

Why We Love It

Partners in Flavor and Season

Leek Season

Vegetable Boosters

Picky Eater Tips

Money Saving Tricks

News from the Farm

Cooking School

Cooking Classes:

White Fish and Leeks en Papillote    

Roasted Leeks and Butternut Squash Salad

Buying the Best

Storing for Flavor

Prepping Tricks & Tips

Cooking Basics

Recipes, Recipes, Recipes

13 Easy Recipes: Make

Leeks a Mid-Winter Favorite

Step 3: Cutting Leeks

© 2009 Culinary Concepts, Inc., Boulder CO

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When to Cut Below the “Dirt Band”

As explained in the section on washing, leeks are easiest to clean when they are first sliced in half vertically so all the dirt can be scoured from them at the same time.  

However, some recipes call for cutting leeks into full rounds or for leaving them whole (mostly for small or baby leeks.)  

In these cases, cut only from below the “dirt band,” since, as a general rule, this part of the leek is free of embedded dirt so it needn’t be cut open for washing.  Rounds cut from at or above the dirt band must be pulled apart and washed before use (the Swirling Method is recommended under these circumstances.)   

Sticks Big and Small  Start with leek halves lying flat sides down for stability:

Half Moons  Place washed leek halves flat sides down for stability, then slice  crosswise to thickness directed by a recipe, usually about 1/4".

Slice lengthwise one or more times for long strips of various sizes.  These make fun, noodle-like additions to a dish.  

Cut long strips crosswise for matchsticks.  These are nice for stir-frying and making frizzled leeks.

Slice leek halves crosswise for half barrels of different lengths that are good for braising  and roasting.

These cutting techniques may remind you of the cutting instructions for zucchini, and for good reason.  Even though they have little else in common besides the color green, zucchini and leeks are both long, cylindrical vegetables which makes cutting very similar.  

Whole, Halves and Quarters  When leeks are the star ingredient in a dish, they are often used whole, or simply sliced lengthwise into halves (or quarters for very large leeks.)  Once cut this way, they are commonly braised, steamed, or grilled.

It can be easier to make some of the smaller cuts on leeks with a paring knife rather than a chefs knife.   

For these leek cuts, take special care to just barely slice off the the roots.

This will leave enough of the connective base to keep the leeks layers together.  However, the bond is tenuous, so continued care must be taken throughout the cooking process if the leeks are to stay together.  

Slice green tops from the other end of wholes or halves.  For whole leeks, slice well below the Dirt Band so the white bottoms are free of dirt.  If  dirt is still embedded in a whole leek, slice in half lengthwise, just far enough down to wash out the inner layers.

Julienned Leeks  For many vegetables, julienning is made easy with a juilienner tool like the one to the left.  While this handy tool can’t be used on something as soft as leeks, the thin flexible layers of a leek make another technique possible:   

Peel off several layers.  Both white and green parts of a layer can be julienned, but they should be kept separate since they are treated differently.

Or faster yet, just slice long strips into 2-3” lengths.  

Stack layers, slick inner surfaces facing down.  Using a sharp paring knife, slice thinly as directed by recipe (usually between 1/8” and 1/4”.)  Cut Strips into shorter lengths, as directed by recipe.

Alternatively, cut leeks halves into 2-3” half barrels,and slice each into thin strips.    

Full Rounds  Cut crosswise to thickness directed by a recipe, usually about 1/4", being sure to cut  below the dirt band (see Note to the right.)   

After the separating and washing steps, leeks can be cut in several different ways:

Cut long strips crosswise for diced leeks.  

Vary the width of strips and crosswise cuts for different sizes of diced leek, as called for by a recipe.

Cutting on the diagonal adds special flair--and better taste (because more surfaces are exposed to the cooking processes and flavors of a dish.)

Pieces Big, Small and Fancy

Start with leek halves lying flat sides down for stability, then cut lengthwise into strips.