Sunday, November 28, 2010

Potage Crecy - French Fabulousness



I am so far behind in blogging that today I decided the holiday gift to myself is to give myself the time I need to blog.  I am not feeling too bad about it, though!  My time has been spent with my amazing boyfriend and although I have been cooking often for him (and he for me), I just have not had the time to sit and blog all of the food goodness happening in my kitchen, especially this holiday weekend! 


I have also been to two supper club meetings since my last post and am a month behind.  So, I decided to start with last month's supper club theme which I requested: SOUP SWAP!   Soups included a pasta fagioli, a curried butternut squash and apple, and a coconut Thai soup.  We also ate baguettes and cheese.  It was a perfect autumn meal.  


It was also ideal to post the soup I made for supper club today - Potage Crecy - in case you have any leftover carrots from Thanksgiving!  In New York, it is certainly soup weather!   Cheers! 


POTAGE CRECY (courtesy of Williams Sonoma French)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, white and tender green parts, rinsed and sliced [see Kitchen Notes]
3/4 pounds carrots [about 5 or 6], diced
3/4 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2-1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1-1/4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves [or 1/2 teaspoon dried]
1 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste [see Kitchen Notes]
additional fresh thyme leaves, for garnish [or finely chopped flat-leaf parsley—see Kitchen Notes]



Heat a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Melt butter and combine with olive oil. Add leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add thyme, cover the pot and simmer until carrots and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor, in batches, if necessary. [Alternatively, use a handheld immersion blender in the pot.]
Return puréed soup to the pot. Add half-and-half, lemon juice and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste [using a light hand, depending on how salty your chicken stock or broth is]. Bring to a simmer until just heated through. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh thyme leaves or parsley. Serve.

Kitchen Notes

Cleaning leeks. Leeks like to grow in sandy soil, so you need to clean them carefully. Slice off root end and most of the green tops. Slice leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse under running water, fanning layers to wash out any trapped grit. When they’re cleaned, slice crosswise in 3/4-inch pieces.