Classic Vichyssoise Recipes

Steps:

• Melt the butter in the pressure cooker pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, celery leaves and 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring often, until soft, approximately 8 minutes. If the leeks start to brown during this process, reduce the heat.
• Drain the potato pieces and add to the pot along with the simmering chicken broth. Clamp on the cooker's lid, (according to the manufacturer's instructions) and bring to full pressure over high heat.
• Once pressure is attained (there will be a loud whistle) back the heat down to medium-low, just maintaining a hissing of steam for 8 minutes.
• Kill the heat and release the steam pressure by opening the dump valve or setting the cooker under cold, running water. When the lid can be removed, carefully transfer the mixture to a blender carafe. (If the mixture fills your carafe more than two-thirds full, work in two batches!)
• Top the carafe with the main lid but remove the center lid so that air can escape as it heats and expands. Cover the lid tightly with a tea towel and blend on low for 1 minute before slowly increasing the speed to smoothly puree the potatoes. (Although you want to increase the speed slowly, try not to puree the potatoes too long as they could become gummy.)
• Transfer the mixture back to the pot and whisk in the cream. Stir in the white pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning (I always need the rest of the salt). Chill thoroughly then serve garnished with a small spoonful of the roe and dill fronds.
• Tightly covered, the vichyssoise will keep a week in the refrigerator. The soup can also be frozen in ice-cube trays then kept in freezer bags for up to three months.

Steps:

• Gently sweat the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in butter or margarine until soft, about 8 minutes. Do NOT let them brown.
• Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste; do not overdo them! Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
• Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Cool. Gently stir in the cream before serving.

Steps:

• Start the chicken stock 2 days in advance: Trim away all green sections from the leeks; cut open the whites as necessary to wash out the grit, then dry and refrigerate in a plastic bag. Wash and reserve the leek greens.
• Wash the chicken backs, poking into the crevices with your finger to rinse away all bits of liver. (Chicken backs are best because they don't make an overly gelatinous stock; for cartilaginous parts like breast trimmings or wings, use only a pound.).
• Simmer the chicken and 1/4 teaspoons salt for 6 hours in water to cover, skimming off all scum (don't try to remove the fat); after 2 hours, add some or all of the leek greens. Strain the stock finely, making about 2 cups; cool and refrigerate. Before using, scrape off the congealed fat.
• Cook and refrigerate the soup base 1 day in advance: Saute the onions in a heavy 2-quart saucepan, starting on fairly high heat and reducing to medium as soon as the fat clarifies. When the onions are golden, increase the heat and add the leeks gradually; lower the heat again as they cook, stirring repeatedly to keep the juices from browning.
• In 15 to 20 minutes, when everything is golden but not browned, add the stock and 3/8 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, partially cover the pan, and simmer actively for 35 minutes. (Don't use too much potato, or the soup will end up too thick.).
• In two batches, finely puree the soup base in a blender at high speed, then pour it back into the saucepan. Rinse out the blender with the milk, add it to the soup base, and heat slowly until it just starts to simmer, stirring continually across the pan bottom and around the sides.
• Finally, put the soup through a very fine strainer, scraping hard with a rubber spatula to push everything through. Cool quickly and refrigerate.
• On serving day, stir the cream gradually into the softly jelled soup. Carefully adjust the consistency, adding more cream (or water or both) as necessary to make a thick but pourable liquid; a spoonful poured back into the bowl should level out, not stay in soft peaks. Taste for seasoning -- don't oversalt, or you'll lose the natural sweetness of the onion and cream.
• Vichyssoise keeps refrigerated up to 10 days.

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add leeks and onion; cook until translucent about 15 minutes. Add potatoes, broth, freshly ground black pepper, sea salt, tarragon, basil and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer; cook for 30 minutes.
• When time is up, turn off the heat, give a good stir and let it cool off a bit before puréeing with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in heavy cream and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and cover with wax paper. When cool enough cover with a lid (leave the wax paper to prevent skin formation) and transfer to the refrigerator for 24 hours or until chilled.
• Just before serving, add a dollop of sour cream garnish with crumbled cooked bacon and fresh chives.
• Note: Submerge peeled potatoes in cold water to prevent from browning.

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot.
• Add 3 peeled and cubed potatoes and 3 trimmed and chopped leeks.
• Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring, until softened.
• Add 4 cups stock. Boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Purée, then let cool. Stir in 1/2 cup or more cream before serving.
• Garnish with chopped chives.