The Pretentious Vichyssoise Recipes

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.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; add leeks and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes, broth, and 1 cup water; season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Working in batches, transfer mixture to a blender and purée until smooth, adding more liquid as needed. Transfer to a large bowl; whisk in 1 cup cream, milk, and nutmeg; season with salt.
• Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup cream, then ladle into bowls and serve drizzled with more cream. Sprinkle with chives and pepper before serving.

VICHYSSOISE

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.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Put the leeks, potatoes, celery and onions in a pot. Add mineral water to cover and season with salt and pepper. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer until very tender. Puree and strain into a glass bowl. Thin with the cream, and with more liquid if needed. Let cool, then chill.
• Before serving, thin the soup to the desired consistency with more water or milk. (You can also use chicken stock, but if you're trying to be vegetarian, then obviously don't.) Check the seasonings. Serve sprinkled with chives.

ITALIAN VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• For the soup: In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, and arugula. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes. In batches, ladle the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and whisk in the cheese, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Let the soup cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until ready to serve. Before serving, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
• For the croutons: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, toss together the bread, oil, and salt until coated. Spread in a single layer on a small baking sheet. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
• To serve: Ladle the soup into small bowls. Garnish with croutons and cherry tomatoes.

LIGHT VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Place the potatoes and leeks in a 2-quart souffle dish and add 1 1/2 cups of the broth. Cover tightly with microwave plastic. Cook in a 650- to 700-watt oven at 100 percent power for 10 minutes.
• While the potatoes and leeks are cooking, combine the ricotta and 1/4 cup of the broth in the food processor. Process until very smooth.
• Remove potato and leek mixture from oven. Prick the plastic to release steam and uncover. Add to the food processor with the remaining broth and process until very smooth. Remove to a serving bowl. Stir in the buttermilk and salt and chill for 3 hours or overnight. Serve with a sprinkling of chives on top, if desired.

VICHYSSOISE

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.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes in salted water to cover until just tender. Melt the butter in a skillet and cool the leeks gently, tossing them lightly, for a few minutes. Add the chicken bouillon and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the leeks until tender. Add the potatoes to the leeks and the broth and season to taste with salt, papper and nutmeg. Put this mixture in the blender (you will need to blend it in two lots) and blend for 1 minute, or until smooth. Chill. When ready to serve, mix in sour cream or heavy cream. Garnish with chopped chives.

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.

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.