Buttered Leeks

This is tasty. I made it for my family’s pot luck Christmas dinner. Leeks are a popular ingredient in many Dutch and Dutch-Indonesian dishes and apparently in some Scots dishes, but they don’t seem to be called for in too many recipes. The name also provides endless amusement for plumbers and beer drinkers.
Cooking leeks means a trip to a store with a big produce section, because the local Safeway may not have them. I have also noticed that the size of leeks varies. I found some monsters when I was cooking for company in October. I think the typical recipe assumes a more modest leek.

This recipe calls for 6-8 leeks. I used about 10 smaller leeks.
This recipe calls for steaming the leeks, so the first step is to put the water and set up the steamer.
A leek looks like a large green onion and the basic preparation is the same. Cut off the root and cut off the dark green stems. Leave the white and the tender green. Peel the dry outer layer. Leeks need careful washing. They tend to have dirt inside. For this dish, I after basic preparation, I cut the leeks lengthwise and then washed the split leeks to remove soil that had been trapped inside some of layers of some leeks. (For other dishes when the leeks are cut across in rings like onions, you may notice spots of trapped dirt. Wipe the knife, set aside those sections and wash with running water).
Steam the leeks until tender, which will be about 15 minutes. Shake the steamer a little, dry to get the water to drip out but don’t obsess about drying the leeks.
In a large skillet, melt about 4 or 5 tablespoons of butter (or heat the same amount sunflower oil or canola oil if butter is a health issue). Add the steamed leeks. Season with ground nutneg and ground pepper. About a half teaspoon each will do. I would be careful with nutmeg. It can be a potent spice.
That’s it. Serve hot.