Pureed Potato and Leek Soup

Here is another recipe from one of the new cookbooks I received for Christmas.  This book, New Classic Family Dinners by Mark Peel has  fantastic recipes from the menu at Campanile, his Los Angeles restaurant.  Some are easy and some are a little more difficult, like the recipe for Giant Ravioli with Spinach, Ricotta and Egg Yolk.  It looks like a bit of heaven!  This time I decided to make one of the easier recipes, Pureed Potato Leek Soup.  The flavor was great and it was very easy to do.  The only thing I would change next time I make it is the the garlic.  The garlic wasn't sauteed with the onion and leeks and I didn't particularly love that flavor of garlic.  Don't get me wrong, I love garlic but I think it needed to be cooked before adding the liquid.  The other change I made was the herbs.  I didn't have a cheesecloth so I didn't make a bouquet gari.  I just added the herbs to the soup and it all got pureed together.  I would definitely make this soup again.

Pureed Potato and Leek Soup

by Mark Peel

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound of leeks, both white and light green parts, sliced 1/2 inch thick across the grain and washed

1 stalk celery, from the tender heart, diced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
8 garlic cloves, cut in half, green shoots removed

A bouquet garni made with a handful of parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf 2 thyme sprigs and 1/2 tsp cracked peppercorns

1 quart Chicken Stock or 2 cups canned chicken broth and 2 cups water

1 quart water

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Garnish - 3 Tbsp creme fraiche whisked with 1 Tbsp cream until fluffy.  Chopped Fresh Chives.

Directions:

1.  Heat the butter in a heavy 4 quart soup pot over medium-low heat and add the leeks, celery and onion.  Cook gently, stirring for about 20 minutes, until very tender.  Add 1/4 tsp salt after the first 10 minutes, and make sure that the vegetables do not color.

2.  Add the potatoes, garlic and bouquet garni.  Stir together and add the chicken stock and the water.  Bring to a simmer, add the remaining salt, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are falling apart and the broth is very fragrant.  Remove from the heat.

3.  Remove the bouquet garni from the soup.  Using an immersion blender or a food mill fitted with the fine screen, puree the soup, or working in 1 1/2 cup batches, ladle into a blender.  Cover the blender, placing a towel over the cover and pulling it down tightly to prevent splashing.  Blend each batch, then put through a medium strainer, unsing a pestle or the bowl of a ladle to push the soup through.  Return to the pot, heat through, and adjust the salt and pepper.

4.  Serve, topping each bowl with a dollop of whipped creme fraiche and a sprinkling of chives.

Click here for a printable version of Pureed Potato and Leek Soup.