Celery Vichyssoise Recipes

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat. In a second stockpot over low heat, warm the chicken stock. Meanwhile, slice the white parts of the leeks in half lengthwise; then thinly slice. Trim and thinly slice celery. Add leeks and celery to the melted butter; gently sweat until translucent, 7-8 minutes, adding a pinch of salt halfway through. Make sure the vegetables do not take on any color.Meanwhile, slice potatoes lengthwise into 4 wedges, then roughly dice into 1-inch chunks. When the leeks and celery are translucent, add warmed stock, followed by the potatoes.
• Make a sachet: Lay a square of cheesecloth large enough to fit the herbs on a flat surface. Place thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and garlic in the middle; then wrap into a bundle and tie with butcher's twine. Submerge the sachet in the soup and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are soft, 15-20 minutes.
• When a fork easily pierces a potato, the soup is ready to be blended. First, remove the sachet. Then use a ladle to remove 1½ cups of broth; set aside. Carefully add the rest of the soup to a blender and cover. Blend, beginning on low speed, then slowly increasing to high speed. When the soup is pale and completely puréed, turn off the blender and add crème fraîche. Cover and continue blending on high speed to a light, smooth texture. Test the thickness, then add some of the reserved broth as necessary to thin the soup, and blend again. Set aside the remaining broth.
• Strain the soup (optional): In a large bowl filled with ice, chill a second bowl large enough to hold the soup. Strain the soup through a chinois or fine-mesh strainer into the chilled bowl; use the back of a ladle to help push the soup through the strainer. The vichyssoise will have a syrupy texture when it's warm, but it will become thicker and more velvety as it chills in the bowl. Let cool for 1 hour.
• When the vichyssoise is chilled, strain more reserved broth into the soup as needed to thin to desired consistency; stir well to combine. Ladle into a bowl. Shape quenelles of crème fraîche (optional): Pass about a tablespoon of crème fraîche back and forth between two spoons, smoothing and shaping it until you have formed an egg-shaped dollop, or "quenelle." Garnish each bowl with a quenelle of crème fraîche and several chive batons before serving.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in the pressure cooker pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, celery leaves and 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring often, until soft, approximately 8 minutes. If the leeks start to brown during this process, reduce the heat.
• Drain the potato pieces and add to the pot along with the simmering chicken broth. Clamp on the cooker's lid, (according to the manufacturer's instructions) and bring to full pressure over high heat.
• Once pressure is attained (there will be a loud whistle) back the heat down to medium-low, just maintaining a hissing of steam for 8 minutes.
• Kill the heat and release the steam pressure by opening the dump valve or setting the cooker under cold, running water. When the lid can be removed, carefully transfer the mixture to a blender carafe. (If the mixture fills your carafe more than two-thirds full, work in two batches!)
• Top the carafe with the main lid but remove the center lid so that air can escape as it heats and expands. Cover the lid tightly with a tea towel and blend on low for 1 minute before slowly increasing the speed to smoothly puree the potatoes. (Although you want to increase the speed slowly, try not to puree the potatoes too long as they could become gummy.)
• Transfer the mixture back to the pot and whisk in the cream. Stir in the white pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning (I always need the rest of the salt). Chill thoroughly then serve garnished with a small spoonful of the roe and dill fronds.
• Tightly covered, the vichyssoise will keep a week in the refrigerator. The soup can also be frozen in ice-cube trays then kept in freezer bags for up to three months.

CELERIAC VICHYSSOISE (CHILLED CELERY SOUP)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan over a low heat, add the onions, thyme, bay leaf and garlic and cook slowly for 2-3 minutes, until soft but not brown.
• Add the potatoes, celeriac and lemon juice to the pan and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Fill a food processor half full with the soup ingredients and puree until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Repeat until all of the soup has been processed.
• Pour the soup into a large serving bowl and season to taste. Leave to cool, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Stir in the double cream just before serving, and garnish with chives or celery leaves.
• For Vegetarian do not use the Chicken broth.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Put the leeks, potatoes, celery and onions in a pot. Add mineral water to cover and season with salt and pepper. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer until very tender. Puree and strain into a glass bowl. Thin with the cream, and with more liquid if needed. Let cool, then chill.
• Before serving, thin the soup to the desired consistency with more water or milk. (You can also use chicken stock, but if you're trying to be vegetarian, then obviously don't.) Check the seasonings. Serve sprinkled with chives.

CELERY VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Saute 1 chopped onion in 1 T butter until softened, about 5 minute.
• Stir in 1 T flour.
• Stir in chicken or Vegetable broth which ever you are using and fresh ground black pepper.
• Add 2 cubed peeled potatoes and 1 bunch sliced celery, about 6 cups.
• Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer, from 20 - 25 minutes.
• Puree in a food processor or blender.
• Reheat with 1 cup milk.
• Serves 4 - 6.