How to: Clean Leeks

Leeks can be tricky things to wash if you don't do it correctly, because the dirt gets everywhere! Here's a simple technique that you can use whenever you have a recipe that asks for leeks.

 1. First you are going to chop off the roots and throw them away.

2. Next you are going to cut off the rough dark green leaves of the leek. Most recipe don't use that part, but you can save it to make vegetable or chicken stocks. 

3.Now with a sharp knife, you will cut a slit down the middle of the leek. At this step you can either rinse them off really well in a colander and make sure you get all the dirt out, or go to Steps 4 and 5. 

 4. Cut the leek into quarters. 

 5. Add them to a bowl full of water and rinse them repeatedly until there is no more dirt left.