Saturday, 19 January 2019

Creme Vichyssoise Glacée

The cold leek and potato soup, Vichyssoise, was developed by chef Louis Diat at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York City between 1910 and 1920. It was published in his book, Cooking a la Ritz (1941).

4 large leeks, white part
1 medium onion
2 ounces sweet butter
5 medium potatoes
1 quart water or chicken broth

1 tbsp salt
2 cups milk
2 cups medium cream
1 cup heavy cream
  1. Finely slice the white part of the leeks and the onion and brown very lightly in the sweet (i.e., unsalted) butter, then add the potatoes, also sliced finely. Add water or broth and the salt. Boil from 35-40 minutes.
  2. Crush and rub through a fine strainer. Return to fire and add 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of medium cream. Season to taste and bring to a boil.
  3. Cool and then rub through a very fine strainer. When soup is cold, add the heavy cream. Chill thoroughly before serving.
  4. Finely chopped chives may be added before serving. Makes 8 servings.

The following version of Vichyssoise is from Julia Child's The French Chef Cookbook.

  • 3 cups thinly sliced leeks, white part only
  • 3-4 cups potatoes, sliced
  • 2 quarts of chicken stock or water
  • ½-1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp salt, or to taste
  • 2-3 tbsp chives, minced
  1. Simmer the vegetables together in the stock/water with the salt for 40-50 minutes until vegetables are tender, or cook in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes. 
  2. Puree the soup in an electric blender or food mill, then through a fine sieve. 
  3. Stir in the heavy cream, oversalt slightly, and chill. (You need to oversalt the soup because chilled soup requires more salt than warm or hot soup for the taste to have the same level of saltiness.)
  4. Serve in chilled soup bowls and decorate with minced chives.

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