When you take a leek, make it braised.Basically a giant scallion, leeks are one of the most spectacular root vegetables around – especially once the true potential of their flavor is released. This recipe doesn’t only pack some serious flavor, but it’s one of the easiest things you’ll make in your Instant Pot!
All it takes is three simple ingredients to create one astonishing side dish that folks will be eyeing and sneaking extra helpings of.
Here’s How I Made It! (scroll to the bottom for the fully-written recipe):
Begin by taking a leek (sorry, I had to say that). Actually, take a few leeks (oops…I did it again)…
…and reserve only the greenish-white stalks as the green tops and bottom root are not what we want here.
Inspect your leeks as they very well may have dirt in them since they grow in the ground…
…and give them a thorough rinse to make sure all the dirt is gone.
See? All clean!
Now let’s carefully slice our clean leeks…
…into discs. As leeks are made up of multiple layers down to the core, try to have them keep their form as you slice.
Now, add some butter to the Instant Pot and give it heat.
Once it melts and bubbles…
…lay the leek discs into the bubblin’ butter, flat-side down and allow it to sauté for a few minutes.
Then, take a fork and carefully flip each leek disc over and you’ll see a nice char will have formed. Even if some appear burned, this is perfect. They won’t taste that way! Allow to sauté on the other side for a few minutes longer.
Lastly, add in some broth of your choice, be it chicken or vegetable.
Secure the lid and briefly pressure cook.
When done, the leeks will have braised perfectly and will be a melt-in-your mouth consistency. Transfer them to a serving dish.
Show off the leek you just made.
Snatch one up with a fork…
…and try it out. The moment it enters your mouth, it’s going to melt and conjure up the flavors of a caramelized onion with hints of a potato! Enjoy and try not to fight over the last one!
At the time of this post, Pressure Luck used Better Than Bouillon/Southeastern Mills for all soup bases and bouillon
Instant Pot Butter Braised Leeks
First you take a leek (sssh) and then sauté it in butta until it becomes all nice and crispy. The perfect starter or side.
Ingredients
- 4 leeks, rinsed well to ensure all dirt is removed. Then, make sure the top, fanned-out green portion and bottom roots are removed so we only focus on the light green tube-like center. Slice that into 1/4″ – 1/2″ discs
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cups chicken broth (I used 1/4 tsp Chicken Better Than Bouillon + 1/4 cup of water)
Instructions
- Add the butter to the Instant Pot and hit “Sauté” and “Adjust” so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting.
- Once the butter’s melted, add in the leeks by hand (they can be fragile and want to unravel) and let sauté face-down for 3 minutes. Once the edges have a bit of a char, gently flip them all with a fork and sauté on the other side for another 3 minutes. (NOTE: if some of the leeks look burned, that’s actually terrific for the flavor! It won’t taste burned at all once pressure cooked and those will likely be your favorite ones to eat!)
- Add in the broth, secure the lid, move the valve to sealing position, hit “Keep Warm/Cancel” and then hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 2 minutes. Quick release when done.
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the leeks to a serving dish.
- Enjoy!
Jeffrey's Tips
If you want it vegetarian, simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth!
Believe it or not, 4 leeks is really only enough to feed 2-3. If you want to double the recipe, go for it! Just add in double the leeks, 1/2 stick (4 tbsp) of butter and 1/3 cup of broth instead of 1/4 cup.
Goes as a GREAT side dish with anything!
LJM
Make this all the time! Great side dish! Thanks!