Potato leek soup with leek oil

• 4 leeks white bits only

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1.5lb Yukon gold potatoes peeled and large diced

• 4 cloves garlic sliced

• 7 cups chicken stock

• 5 prigs thyme

• 2 fresh bay leaves

• 1/4 cup creme fraiche

• 3/4 cup heavy cream

• salt and white pepper to taste

leek oil

• green leek tops

• 1 bunch parsley

• neutral oil

1. To make the leek oil, bring a pot of water to a boil.

2. Chop and wash your leek greens really well.

3. Add the clean leek greens to the boiling water and let them sit for 30 seconds before adding the parsley. Wait an additional 15 seconds then strain and place everything into an ice bath to shock the greens.

4. Place the greens into a blender top and cover with enough neutral oil to cover and blend completely smooth. For me this was about a cup and a half of oil. So this does make quite a bit of green oil however you can freeze the extra.

5. Strain the blended oil through a strainer lined with a piece of cheesecloth and let it hang out for a couple hours.

soup

1. Take the white parts of the leek and chop and wash them really well.

2. Preheat a pot over medium-low heat and add the butter. Once it melts and begins to foam, add the leeks and garlic. Sweat over low heat (no color, no browning) for 15 minutes until the leeks are translucent and soft.

3. Add the potatoes, thyme and bay (I like to tie these two together with a bit of twine to make it easy to remove later) and chicken stock.

4. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are completely soft and falling apart, around 30-35 minutes.

5. When the potatoes are ready: there’s a few ways to proceed. First pluck out the bay and thyme. You can pass the soup through a food mill to break everything up, or use an immersion blender. If you’re going to use a blender like I did, make sure there is plenty of liquid in each batch to avoid overworking the potatoes and making them gummy. Whichever way you proceed, I like to pass the soup through a sieve. Just for a super smooth texture.

6. Add the creme fraiche if you’re using it, heavy cream, and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper.

7. To serve, take some of your soup and place it into a small pot and float some of the leek oil on top, then just pour it into a bowl.