A few nights ago I sent my wife and son back to America for good.
The feeling of leaving a place that has become home to you is unsettling, and not a little disorienting. The uncertainty of the future and the transience of the present make for bad times in general, so I thought a bit of comfort food was in order. And what is more comforting than bacon? Thanks to Salah, we had a few extra slips crammed in the back of the fridge that we had to use anyways before they went slimy, so I decided to kick up my usual potato leek soup with a bit of porcine bliss.
Leeks are generally neglected in American cooking, probably because they're hazardous to break down if you're not used to them. Much like spinach, if you're careless about your leeks, you'll get a big mouthful of grit, which is sure to ruin dinner for all but the most hardened Pica sufferers.
Until a few centuries ago, leeks had a pretty ignominious history. Though they taste heavenly, they were generally regarded as peasant food in the classical era, the Roman elites preferring a ghastly array of beasts encrusted with expensive spices and doused with garam - a seasoning made by fermenting fish, much like Worchestershire sauce or the process of isolating MSG. The poor, knowing better, and being too poor to acquire spices anyway, seasoned their food with herbs they grew in their gardens, including leeks.
Their delicate flavor is a great pairing with potatoes and butter, which makes them ideal for soups, which generally taste fantastic with both. I add carrots to mine to jazz up the broth a bit, and a bit of nutmeg for kicks.
Chilled and blended, this is called vichyssoise, which seems like it should be French but was apparently first popularized by the chef at the Ritz in New York in 1917. Being ridiculously simple, I'm sure it existed in some form or another before that.
Some notes: This soup tastes great with bacon as a garnish, but any sort of smoky flavor addition would work for those who don't dig on swine. To make it halal, simply remove the wine, which is just an enhancer here.
Ingredients
3 tbsp butter
1 large potato
1 medium carrot
2 large leeks
1/4 white onion
4 cloves garlic
2 strips bacon
1/2 c white wine
3 cups broth (or water)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup cream
a touch of freshly grated nutmeg
salt
pepper
Step 1: Prep
Wash and finely chop the leeks. You'll cut off most of the green ends and the base, then cut them along the length. This will allow you to wash the internal leaves, but don't disassemble them since you'll need them together to cut them efficiently. (see this link for a guide) Finely chop the onion and add it to the pile of leek. Mince the garlic and set aside. Cube the carrots and potatoes and set aside in another bowl.
Start to bake the bacon at 375 degrees, checking on it frequently to ensure that it's not overdone.
Step 2: Cooking
Melt the butter in a pot and add the onions and leeks. Sweat them on low medium heat until they're soft, then add the garlic. Add the roots, herbs, wine and broth, cover and let it cook down for a while.
Step 3: Blending
Remove the bay leaves and partially whip the soup with a stick blender, leaving some chunks for texture. Salt it, return the bay leaves and add the dry spices (except pepper, which goes in last) and the cream. Chop the bacon when it's done and add it as well. The texture should be somewhat smooth and thick, but not like oatmeal.
Step 4: To serve
This goes great with fresh French bread. Crack some pepper over the top and it's good to go!
The feeling of leaving a place that has become home to you is unsettling, and not a little disorienting. The uncertainty of the future and the transience of the present make for bad times in general, so I thought a bit of comfort food was in order. And what is more comforting than bacon? Thanks to Salah, we had a few extra slips crammed in the back of the fridge that we had to use anyways before they went slimy, so I decided to kick up my usual potato leek soup with a bit of porcine bliss.
Leeks are generally neglected in American cooking, probably because they're hazardous to break down if you're not used to them. Much like spinach, if you're careless about your leeks, you'll get a big mouthful of grit, which is sure to ruin dinner for all but the most hardened Pica sufferers.
Until a few centuries ago, leeks had a pretty ignominious history. Though they taste heavenly, they were generally regarded as peasant food in the classical era, the Roman elites preferring a ghastly array of beasts encrusted with expensive spices and doused with garam - a seasoning made by fermenting fish, much like Worchestershire sauce or the process of isolating MSG. The poor, knowing better, and being too poor to acquire spices anyway, seasoned their food with herbs they grew in their gardens, including leeks.
Their delicate flavor is a great pairing with potatoes and butter, which makes them ideal for soups, which generally taste fantastic with both. I add carrots to mine to jazz up the broth a bit, and a bit of nutmeg for kicks.
Chilled and blended, this is called vichyssoise, which seems like it should be French but was apparently first popularized by the chef at the Ritz in New York in 1917. Being ridiculously simple, I'm sure it existed in some form or another before that.
Some notes: This soup tastes great with bacon as a garnish, but any sort of smoky flavor addition would work for those who don't dig on swine. To make it halal, simply remove the wine, which is just an enhancer here.
Ingredients
3 tbsp butter
1 large potato
1 medium carrot
2 large leeks
1/4 white onion
4 cloves garlic
2 strips bacon
1/2 c white wine
3 cups broth (or water)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup cream
a touch of freshly grated nutmeg
salt
pepper
Step 1: Prep
Wash and finely chop the leeks. You'll cut off most of the green ends and the base, then cut them along the length. This will allow you to wash the internal leaves, but don't disassemble them since you'll need them together to cut them efficiently. (see this link for a guide) Finely chop the onion and add it to the pile of leek. Mince the garlic and set aside. Cube the carrots and potatoes and set aside in another bowl.
Start to bake the bacon at 375 degrees, checking on it frequently to ensure that it's not overdone.
Step 2: Cooking
Melt the butter in a pot and add the onions and leeks. Sweat them on low medium heat until they're soft, then add the garlic. Add the roots, herbs, wine and broth, cover and let it cook down for a while.
Step 3: Blending
Remove the bay leaves and partially whip the soup with a stick blender, leaving some chunks for texture. Salt it, return the bay leaves and add the dry spices (except pepper, which goes in last) and the cream. Chop the bacon when it's done and add it as well. The texture should be somewhat smooth and thick, but not like oatmeal.
Step 4: To serve
This goes great with fresh French bread. Crack some pepper over the top and it's good to go!
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