Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Vichyssoise

ms_bold's Note:

This is an adopted recipe that I have not yet tried. The original chef comments: "I grew up on this wonderful cold soup, and when my Grandmother passed away, the recipe went with her, until I got Anthony Bourdain's wonderful cookbook, "Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook". This is so close to the Vichyssoise I loved, and you will too!"

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 8 leeks, white part only, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into small cubes
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• salt and fresh pepper

Directions:

1. I a large, heavy bottom pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Once butter is melted, add the leeks and sweat for 5 minutes, making sure they do not take on any color.
2. Add potatoes and cook for a minute or two, stirring a few times.
3. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook on low heat, gently simmering for 35 minutes, or until the leeks and potatoes are very soft. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
5. Slowly, and in SMALL batches, puree the soup at a high speed in the blender. Do this bit by bit, never filling the blender too high. Make sure the benders lid is on, and lean on the top when you turn on. If not the burn you will get is awful, and a most frequent accident in even professional kitchens.
6. Return soup to the cooking pot and whisk in cream and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Return to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook 5 minutes. If you want to thin soup out, add more broth, if needed.
7. Transfer soup to the mixing bowl an chill over the ice bath, stirring occasionally. When soup is at Room temperature, and only at room temperature, cover in plastic wrap and put int the refrigerator to cool.
8. Check seasoning, sprinkle with chives and serve in chilled bowls.
9. This soup DOES get better over time. Keep covered with plastic, not foil in the refrigerator, or it will pick up other tastes.

Reviews

[andythebouncer]

Great Recipe. Leaning down on the blender lid is not a sure fire way to prevent burns. The reason why it spurts up is because the hot soup atomizes and turns very quickly into steam, spiking the pressure. The best way deal with this is to take the center 'hole' part out of the blender lid, so pressure can flow out, loosely bunch up a clean kitchen towel, and hold that over the hole. Make sure it goes all the way around the hole so no soup can come out, but make sure it is on there loosely enough to not cork in the pressure.

[LydiaWilder]

I made this with half and half instead of heavy cream for the obvious reason and it was simply supurb! I also appreciated the advice about the blender as I experienced this "mishap" with another soup. I added white pepper as I love the flavor but no other changes. This will be a stadard, especially when the chives pop up in my garden in the spring. Fantastic!

[Andi In The Kitchen]

I have made this twice already, and it has the richest flavor imaginable for something made with simple ingredients. There are never any leftovers!