Ingredients
50 g butter
450 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
1 small onion, cut into 1 cm pieces
450 g white parts of leeks, sliced
850 - 1200 ml (1.5-2 pts) light chicken or vegetable stock
142 ml carton whipping cream
125 ml full fat milk
To finish
the white part of 1 leek
a small knob of butter
finely chopped chives
Method
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams, add the potatoes, onion and leeks as prepared above. Toss in the butter until all well covered
- Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper and toss again
- Put a dish of greaseproof paper (aka a cartouche) on top of the vegetables, to keep in the steam. Cover the pan with its lid
- Cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not coloured
- Uncover the pan and discard the paper. Pour in 850 ml of the stock, bring to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are just cooked - for about 5 minutes. Do not overcook, or the soup will lose its fresh flavour
- Puree in a blender, in batches if necessary, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Return the soup to a clean pan and stir in three quarters of the cream as well as the milk
- To finish the soup, finely shred the remaining leek and gently cook it in a small knob of butter for a few minutes until it is softened but not coloured
- Reheat the soup to a gentle simmer, adding some extra stock if the soup is too thick for your liking.
- Drizzle the remaining cream over each serving, top with a little pile of buttered leeks and a scattering of chives and black pepper and serve at once.
