Things You'll Need:
- 8-inch chef knife
- Cutting board
- Water
- Sink
- Colander
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Step 1
Choose young tender leeks no more than 1 ½ inches in diameter. Trim the tough root ends and discard. Pull off and discard outer layers that are yellow or spotted. Trim the green tops to within 2 inches of the light green center section of the leek.
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Step 2
Use an 8-inch chef knife to slice the leek vertically. Lay each half on a cutting board and cut vertically. There are 4 quarters.
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Step 3
Fill a sink half full of water and swish the leaks in the water one quarter at a time. Change water after rinsing each quarter. Check that all dirt is washed away before refilling the sink.
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Step 4
Lay each quarter separately in a colander. Run water over each section. Leave no dirt in the bottom of the colander. Dirt redistributes to the inside sections of the leek quarter.
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Step 5
Drain clean leeks on paper towels and blot away moisture.
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Step 6
Use the chef knife to cut leeks into 1-inch pieces. Leeks are now ready to use in any recipe that calls for either leeks or onions.
