What's for Dinner, Sun., Jan. 14, 2024

[Warpy]

11. Had to pick up the opiates in person last week Ithanks a lot DEA, you moronic

security obsessed, patient hating fuckwits) and snagged a bunch of my weird veggies on the way out.

Tonight it's a huge pot of potage Parmentier, Julia Child's hot potato soup. Every time I make it, I'm surprised by how good it is.

Sorry, Julia, I like mine lumpy. I think Julia would have killed for a stick blender. I know what a PIA it was to blend this soup in small batches in a blender. I usually just shoved it through a food mill, instead.

I do this from memory so

1 bunch leeks, can be 3 small ones or one big baseball bat. Chop white and pale green parts and swish around in a bowl of water. Scoop out the leeks (they float) into a big strainer, then dry in a kitchen towel. This should get rid of all the hidden sand. Sweat the dried, chopped leeks in a mixture of oil and butter in a large pot, a little salt added to encourage them to release moisture. While that's going,

Peel and chop 3-4 large russet potatoes. Can sub. Yukon gold but waxy potatoes like red potatoes don't work as well. When the leeks are a brighter color and glistening and the kitchen smells like a slice of heaven, add the potatoes, stir to mix. Add water to cover, barely, add a large pinch of thyme and some black pepper and cook until the potatoes practically fall apart. Blend, add a cup of heavy cream and blend again. This is not a soup for the carb or fat phobic, but it's worth the cheat.

I just noticed my onions are starting to sprout so next week it will be onion soup. I just hope I can find a decent bread. American cheese has been classified by the French as a Gruyere and is a damn sight cheaper, so that part is sorted.