By now you have most likely planned your entire Thanksgiving dinner, but even if you have, I’d like to suggest a simple side dish you might want to consider adding to the meal, or taking with you if you’ve been invited to someone else’ s home for dinner. The idea occurred to me as I passed our rather empty gardens and spied several rows of leeks still standing strong and holding their own out in the cold.
Since the earliest days in the Community, it has been our custom to serve the traditional Cape Cod Thanksgiving meal, which always included creamed onions. Then, when our gardens began to produce beautiful leeks we started using them instead. Many people prefer leeks because of their milder and more subtle flavor, and now they have become a “must have” addition to our holiday menu.
If you have never been introduced to leeks cooked in this particular way, they might very well become a favorite with you once you give them a try.
SERVINGSCHANGE SERVING SIZE |
COOK TIME35-40minutes |
PREP TIME |
READY IN |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 4 cups leek(s) chopped (about 2 pounds)
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme chopped, or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh sage chopped, or 1/2 tsp dried
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp white pepper freshly ground
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sherry
- salt
Instructions
- Rinse leeks well, as soil can often be caught between leaves.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the leeks and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 30 minutes.
- Add the thyme, sage, white pepper, flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
- Add the cream and bring to a boil.
- Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add sherry, and season with salt.