This is the perfect soup to curl up to on a cold day. Say what you will about Gordon Ramsey’s temper and flair for the dramatic the guy knows food. This recipe is adapted from one of his cooking books, “Chef for All Seasons”. Personally I love Hell’s Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares (the BBC version is far superior). I wish I could yell at some of my coworkers and call them Donkeys without getting fired. But that’s another story for another day. I found this cookbook at our local library. While the rest of the recipes where beyond my skill level this one was very simple to make and understand.
I also recommend his book “Gordon Ramsey Makes It Easy”, this one had a number of recipes at my skill level that I want to try.
You can make this vegetarian by not using bacon as a garnish and using vegetable nage instead of chicken stock.
Potato and Leek Soup
2 1/2 cups of Leeks diced
1 small onion chopped
1 tblspn olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups of potato peeled and diced
1 fresh bouquet garni (parsley stems, sprig thyme, small bay leaf, and sprig of celery leaves tied together)
3 cups light chicken stock
1/2 cup of heavy cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the leeks and onion into large saucepan with olive oil and butter. When they start to sizzle, cover and sweat the vegetables over low hear for 5 minutes
2. Add wine and cook uncovered until evaporated. Add potato and bouquet garni (we wrapped ours in unwaxed dental floss), cover with the stock and bring to a boil. Season and simmer for 15 minutes until the potato is soft.
3. Remove the garni.
4. Stir in the cream and season to taste. Garnish with bacon (optional).
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