Cut Leeks

Leeks are a woody green vegetable with a mild onion-like flavor. They can be consumed raw but are more commonly prepared in cooked dishes. Cutting leeks can seem intimidating, but the process is actually fairly simple. You'll be cutting leeks like a professional chef in no time!

Steps

Crescent Cut

  1. Remove the root end. Use a sharp knife to chop off the bottom 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) of the leek, cutting away the stringy root.
    • You should also peel away any outer layers that look stained or wilted. While you will not be using the dark green portion of the leaves, some of the leaves may extend down to the usable light green portion. For that reason, it is important to peel away leaves that look rotted or especially dirty.
  2. Slice the leek down the white stalk lengthwise. Make a cut down the center of the stem, beginning from the the top of the light green section and working all the way through the bottom. Cut completely through the stalk.
    • Stop the cut just below the dark green leaf section. The dark green portion of the leek has a bitter taste and a tough, unpleasant texture, so it is not generally used for cooking.
  3. Slice the leek lengthwise once more. Rotate the leek 90 degrees so that the slice you just made runs from side to side. Make another cut down the center of the stalk, the same length as the first, separating the stalk into quarters.
    • To create larger pieces of leek, skip this step, leaving the leek sliced in half rather than in quarters.
  4. Chop the leek into small segments. Make short, 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) cuts across the width of the leek. Work from the bottom up, stopping once more at the dark green portion of the leek.
    • These cuts should completely release the sliced portions from the rest of the stalk.
    • The resulting pieces should look like small crescent moons.
  5. Separate the rings with your fingers. Use your fingers to gently separate the rings apart. This can usually be accomplished simply by tossing the pieces around a bit.

Thick Matchstick Cut[1]

  1. Remove the root and the dark green leaves. Use a sharp knife to chop off the bottom 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) of the leek to remove the root end. Also chop off the top portion of the leek, where the light green coloring ends and deepens to a darker green.
    • The dark green leaves of a leek are bitter in taste and tough in texture, so it is better to avoid using them.
  2. Slice the leek in half lengthwise. Cut the remaining white stalk in half, starting at the newly cut top and working down to the bottom.
    • The stalk should be divided into to equal halves.
  3. Position the leek halves flat on the cutting board. Place the leek halves cut-side down on the cutting board so that the rounded surface faces up.
    • Holding the leek halves in this position will prevent them from rolling around as you make additional slices.
  4. Continue slicing the leek lengthwise. Slice each half lengthwise into tall matchstick-length sections.
    • Work from one edge to the other rather than starting in the middle.
    • The pieces should be about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch (6.35-mm to 1.25-cm) thick.
  5. Separate the slices, if necessary. The slices may fall apart without you separating them much, but if some of the "matchsticks" are stuck together, gently toss them around with your hands until the pieces separate completely.

Chiffonade Cut[2]

  1. Cut away the root and dark green sections of the leek. Chop off the bottom 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) of the leek and dark green leaves at the top. The remaining stalk should be white and light green.
    • You may also need to remove any tough outer leaves. These leaves will be difficult to slice into narrow strips and may have an unpleasant texture if consumed.
    • The dark green leaves are bitter and tough, which is why they are not typically eaten.
  2. Cut the leek in half lengthwise. Slice the leek into two equal halves, cutting from the bottom of the stalk to the top.
  3. Cut the stalk into 2-inch (5-cm) portions. Slice across the width of the stalk as many times as necessary to separate the entire stalk into smaller portions.
  4. Place each portion cut-side up. The rounded side of each 2-inch (5-cm) section should face the cutting board and the flat side should face up.
  5. Cut along the length of each portion to create thin strips. Make narrow lengthwise slices across each portion. The cuts should be similar in thickness to the width of each inner layer.
    • Use one hand to hold each section of leek in place as you cut. Place your hand across the width of the section and cut along the length, starting on the side opposite you. Gradually work your way across the width of the leek until you reach the side nearest you.
    • Use enough pressure as you hold the leek in place so that the layers begin to fan out and separate slightly.
    • Due to the thinness of these slices and the manner in which they are cut, you should not need to separate them after cutting the leek.
  6. Finished.



Tips

  • Clean the leeks after you cut them.[3] Place the separated pieces of cut leek in a large bowl of cold water. Use your hands to stir them, loosening and removing any dirt stuck to the pieces. Transfer the leeks to a colander using a slotted spoon or your hands, and rinse the pieces under running water to clean further. Air dry or dry them manually with paper towels.

Things You'll Need

  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.cookthink.com/reference/175/How_to_prep_a_leek
  2. ↑ http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=preptip&dbid=147
  3. ↑ http://www.kitchentrials.com/2012/03/04/how-to-prep-and-cut-leeks/

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