Vichyssoise

Ingredients

• 1 large potatoes
• 1 small/medium red onion
• 1 leek
• 20g butter
• 400 ml chicken stock
• 3 eggs
• 50ml whipping cream
• Croutons
• Olive Oil to garnish

Directions

• Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes and drop into a bowl with water.
• Place butter in a pan on low heat.
• Halve and finely slice the onion and add to pan for 5 mins.
• Halve and finely slice the leek and add to pan for 10 mins.
• Add potatoes and stock and cook for 30 mins.
• Finely blend with soup with immersion blender, pour into a container through a fine seive.
• Cool soup till cold (at least a few hours).
• ~10 mins before eating, boil eggs for 3 minutes, then cool in water.
• Break each egg into a slotted spoon in a bowl, then place in centre of the plate.
• Before serving, mix in cream, sprinkle on croutons and drizzle olive oil.

This recipe comes from Ferran Adria’s cookbook, The Family Meal. Which contains the meals served at elBulli for their staff meals. It’s brilliant as it’s easy to make well in advance. While usually I would make it in the morning, I guess it could be done a day or two before serving.

We have a machine that can blend and cook - so when making this at home, I usually saute directly in the machine for 10 mins, then add the potatoes stock and use the ‘smooth soup’ setting.