La Recette du Jour

A classic French soup … delicious if carefully made.

2 oz butter
2 tsp sugar
1 lb potatoes
1 pt water
3 carrots
1 pt stock (chicken or vegetable)
2 large leeks
chervil or parsley
salt, pepper
cream

Clean and slice the leeks thinly (including a very little of the green part) and dice the carrots. Melt the butter and cook the leeks and carrots for a few minutes until they are thoroughly coated in butter. Add the peeled, diced potatoes and stir for another minute. Add water, stock, sugar and salt (I advise not using entirely stock as the soup just ends up tasting of chicken instead of vegetables). Cook uncovered at a gentle boil, for about 25 minutes. Then either pass through a Mouli (medium blade) or liquidize. The Mouli is better in some ways as it eliminates fibres and makes a more velvety soup. Return to the pan, check seasoning, and add a little cream (only 2 tbsps or so, you don’t want to make it too bland). Serve garnished with a little chopped parsley or chervil.

This recipe is based on one from French Country Cooking by Elizabeth David.
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