Red Pepper Vichyssoise Recipes

RED PEPPER VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Place peppers in a steamer over 1 inch of water in a wide-mouthed pot. Cover pot, bring water to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes or until peppers are very soft.
• Pass peppers through the medium disk of a food mill, or puree in a food processor and then force through a sieve. Reserve.
• Place shallots, potato and stock in a small saucepan. Cover.
• Bring to a boil. Lower heat, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, or until potato pieces are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
• Combine potato mixture with pepper puree, salt and cream. Puree in 2-cup batches in blender until smooth.
• Refrigerate at least 2 hours. If refrigerating overnight, remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.

VICHYSSOISE

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.

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.

RED PEPPER VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Cut the peppers into thirds; remove seeds and membranes. Place the peppers in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 6 minutes. Drain and let cool. This will make it easy to remove the skins of the peppers. Remove and discard the skin from the peppers. Place the peppers in a blender, and cover and process until smooth. Make sure you stop at least once to scrape down the sides of the blender. Cover and chill thoroughly.
• Saute leeks in the butter in a Dutch oven over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until tender. Add broth and potato. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes or until the potato is tender.
• Place half of the potato-leek mixture in the container of a blender; cover and process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down the sides. Repeat the procedure with the remaining potato mixure.
• Stir in the whipping cream, salt, and pepper. Cover and chill thoroughly.
• Combine the pepper mixture and the potato mixture. Stir well. To serve, ladle cold soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of Creme Fraiche and garnish with chopped chives.