How To Clean Leeks

Grasp the knife in your dominant hand, holding the handle close to the blade with three fingers (middle, ring, and pinkie). Curl your forefinger around one side of the blade while holding your thumb on the opposite side.

With your non-knife-wielding hand, hold the leek firmly on the cutting board close to the area you will cut.

Cut off the top dark green part of the leek and discard. You only use the white and very light green part of the leek.

Leeks can be very sandy. Hold the leek halves under running water to remove the dirt. Gently pull apart the layers to remove hidden dirt and sand.

For recipes that require rounds of leek, slice ½” from the bottom and discard. Chop the leek in rounds and submerge the pieces in a sink or bowl water. Gently pry the layers to let water get between them, but don’t pull them apart completely.

Dry the whole, half, or sliced leek round on a paper towel. Start cooking.