All About Leeks

Chef Neil Fuentes is back in the Connecticut Style kitchen, and this time it's all about leeks. Leeks are such a versatile and tasty vegetable, you won't believe all the uses you can give to it.

Leek cream soup.
2 leeks thinly sliced
6 strips of bacon
2 potatoes diced
1/4 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Place a skillet on medium high. Dice the bacon and place on the skillet until the bacon is crispy. At the same time in a soup pan place the chicken broth and the diced potatoes on medium high heat, cook until the potatoes are soft. Remove the bacon from the skillet preserving the fat. Add the leeks to the bacon fat and cook until they are soft.
Once the leeks are soft add the bacon and the wine and place back and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth. Bring all the ingredients to a boil. Once they reach that point, shut the soup off and wait 5 minutes before serving.

Leek potato balls.

2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes
1 leek
1/2 cup of minced bacon, or spanish chorizo, or pancetta, or pig skins.
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup of breadcrumbs
1 egg vegetable oil to fry.
2 tbsp of butter.
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Pre-heat a skillet to medium high. Thinly sliced the leeks and add to the skillet, cook until soft.
Place the all the rest of the ingredients (except for the bread crumbs) into a bowl. Place the breadcrumbs on a different plate.
Add the cooked leeks and butter to the bowl and mix all the ingredients. Form balls and dust them in the bread crumbs. Fry at 350 degrees unit golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Smoked pork chops in a brandy leek cream sauce.
2 smoked pork chops
2 leeks sliced
1/2 cup of cream
1/4 cup of brandy
1/4 cup of chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup of olive oil.

Preparation
On a skillet place olive oil and the pork chops and cook until brown. Remove from skillet. Add the leeks to the skillet and cook until soft. Once they are soft, add the brandy and the cream, salt and pepper to taste. Let that sauce cook for about two minutes.
Serve the pork chops on a plate and poor that sauce on top. Enjoy!