Saffron Vichyssoise Recipes

ANTHONY BOURDAIN'S LES HALLES VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• 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.
• Add potatoes and cook for a minute or two, stirring a few times.
• Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 into the refrigerator to cool.
• Check seasoning, sprinkle with chives and serve in chilled bowls.
• This soup DOES get better over time. Keep covered with plastic, not foil in the refrigerator, or it will pick up other tastes.

ZUCCHINI AND SAFFRON VICHYSSOISE WITH SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Thinly julienne zucchini lengthwise with slicer, working around core, into 1/4-inch-thick ribbons. Cut zucchini cores into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Cook onion in butter in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, garlic, and saffron and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, bay leaf, and thyme and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add chopped zucchini cores and simmer, uncovered, until zucchini is very tender, about 8 minutes.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Stir in cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then cool to room temperature, uncovered. Chill soup, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
• While soup is chilling, cook julienned zucchini in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 30 seconds, then drain and transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and chill, covered.
• Before serving soup, cut each scallop horizontally into 3 rounds and pat dry. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear scallops until golden brown, 20 to 30 seconds on each side, and season with salt.
• Serve soup with zucchini mounded in center, topped with scallop rounds.

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.