Classic Vichyssoise Recipes

CLASSIC VICHYSSOISE

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.

CLASSIC VICHYSSOISE

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.

CLASSIC VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Combine the leeks, potatoes, milk, and 2 cups water in a 4-quart pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add 1-1/2 tsp. salt, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until a potato slice falls apart when you poke it with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the cream, and let cool briefly. Purée the soup, preferably using a regular blender and working in batches, filling it only half way each time. Strain the puréed soup through a fine sieve. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (stirring prevents a skin from forming), and then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Before serving, thin the soup with water if necessary-it should be the consistency of heavy cream. Season to taste with salt. Serve cold in chilled bowls, garnished with the chives.

CLASSIC VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• In a large stock pot melt butter over low heat. Add leeks and onion, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme, marjoram, bay leaf and stir well. Cover pot and continue to cook for 12 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, partially covered for 30 minutes.
• Puree soup in blender or food processor and cool.
• Prior to serving add cream. If you are serving this soup warm you need to reheat the soup slowly so that the cream does not change consistency.

CLASSIC VICHYSSOISE

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 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.