Potage Parmentier By Julia Child Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large (6+ quart) stockpot or dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the leek and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have begun to soften and brown slightly, about 8-12 minutes (this time will vary greatly depending on the surface area of the bottom of your pot). Add the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Blend until smooth either using an immersion blender, or by carefully transferring to a blender in batches. Add the cream, and season to taste with salt (I start with 1 teaspoon and go from there, tasting frequently) and lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche, and a healthy sprinkling of minced parsley.

Steps:

• Simmer vegetables, water and salt together, partially covered, 40-50 minutes until vegetables are tender.
• Mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork, or puree in blender. Correct seasoning.
• Off heat and just before serving, stir in cream or butter by spoonfuls. Pour into a tureen or soup cups and decorate with the herbs.
• Good hot, cold or room temperature.
• Variations:.
• The following may be simmered with the potatoes and leeks at the start:.
• Sliced or diced carrots or turnips.
• Peeled, seeded or chopped tomatoes or strained, canned tomatoes.
• Half-cooked dried beans, peas, or lentils, including their cooking liquid.
• The following may be simmered for 10-15 minutes with the soup after it has been pureed:.
• Fresh or frozen diced cauliflower, cucumbers, broccoli, Lima beans, peas, string beans, okra or zucchini.
• Shredded lettuce, spinach, sorrel, or cabbage.
• Diced, cooked leftovers of any of the preceding vegetables.
• Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced and diced.

Steps:

• To make the filling, heat the stock in a saucepan over medium-high heat with the carrots, celery, and onions. Let simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk a few ladlefuls of the warm stock into the flour mixture, which will appear lumpy at first but will smooth out as you go. Gradually add all the stock, including the vegetables, stirring as you go. Cook for about 10 minutes, until thickened. During the last minute of cooking, add the garlic and white wine. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the chicken, peas, tarragon, parsley, salt, and pepper. Taste and add a bit more salt, if desired. Transfer the mixture to a 2½‑ to 3-qt. (2.5- to 3-L) shallow baking dish set on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet (to catch any spills).
• Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
• To make the potato topping, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the cubed potatoes and cook until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Return the potatoes to the pot and cook over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to remove some of the moisture.
• Pass the potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer (don't use a mixer or food processor because it will make the potatoes gluey). Mix in the cubed butter and salt, let stand 5 minutes, stirring once or twice while they're cooling.
• Stir the egg yolks into the warm potatoes. Add the cream, a generous amount of pepper, and the nutmeg. Either spread the potato mixture over the chicken filling with a spatula, or transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe the potatoes decoratively over the filling. With a pastry brush, gently dribble the melted butter over the potatoes. Bake the pot pie for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and burnished in places.