I discovered this recipe while perusing online, and it really called to me. Leeks are really fabulous in my book, and somewhat underused and under appreciated.

The recipe comes from the Gordon Ramsay website. There is no description or any notes. What got my attention was the use of miso, soy sauce, maple syrup, mirin, and toasted sesame oil. The leeks aren’t just flavored with miso and maple syrup!

These leeks could certainly be a side dish for grilled chicken or pork, but I can also imagine them with creamy polenta or potato mash. Ideally, with these Asian flavors, I’d have some white rice around for serving!

The leeks turned out to be even more delicious than what I expected! They’re wonderful with polenta, but next time I’ll opt for sticky rice.

Miso-Maple Braised Leeks

6 small leeks, trimmed, roots intact
2 tablespoons olive oil
Flaky sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Heavy pinch of chili flakes
1/3 cup light miso
2-3 tablespoons hot water
1 cup chicken stock, divided
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons mirin
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
3 tablespoons butter
Fresh cracked pepper
Zest of 1 lemon, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425˚F.

Prepare leeks – trim dark green tops and remove tough outer leaves from leeks and slice in half lengthwise, running under cool water to clean, dry thoroughly.

Prepare miso – in a small bowl, mix together miso and hot water until smooth, adding more water as needed until mixture is smooth and drizzly.

Heat a large skillet over high heat and drizzle with oil, sear leeks until caramelized, seasoning generously with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Flip and repeat on the other side.

Add half the stock to the skillet and drizzle miso around the outside of the pan, let simmer for a moment.

Season leeks with soy, maple, sesame oil, and mirin. Top with sliced garlic and a few knobs of butter around the outside of the pan. Add just enough stock to cover leeks halfway, bring to a boil and pop into oven to roast until caramelized and tender when pierced with a knife.

Enjoy hot, straight from the pan, garnished with lemon zest, chili flakes, and fresh cracked pepper.

I served them over no-cheese polenta.

It’s a perfect meal!