Cucumber Cups With Vichyssoise Recipes

CUCUMBER CUPS WITH VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and stock. Season with salt. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Strain leek-potato mixture through a fine sieve, reserving liquid. Puree solids in a food mill or blender, adding reserved liquid as needed, just until smooth. Stir in remaining reserved liquid.
• Strain soup through sieve into a large bowl, and stir in half-and-half and nutmeg. Season with salt and white pepper. Refrigerate vichyssoise until chilled, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, hollow out cucumbers using a melon baller, leaving bottoms intact. Refrigerate, covered with a damp towel, until ready to use.
• Stir cream into chilled vichyssoise just before serving. Fill cucumber cups with vichyssoise and garnish with chives.

CHILLED CUCUMBER VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Pour stock into large saucepan, add potatoes and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• Heat the butter in a skillet, add leeks and onion and saute over low heat for 5 minutes.
• Either use an immersion blender after adding leek mixture to the liquids or in batches, combine vegetables and stock in the processor, add cucumbers and puree.
• Pour mixture into large bowl.
• Stir in cream, add nutmeg, salt and pepper, stir and chill for a couple of hours.
• Serve in soup bowls or wine glasses garnished with minced chives.

CHIVE AND CUCUMBER VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; sauté just until soft but not yet brown, about 5 minutes. Add broth and potato. Simmer until potato is very tender, about 12 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potato and leeks to blender. Add half of cooking liquid and blend to coarse puree. Add cream and blend, using on/off turns. Transfer to large bowl. Combine cucumber, chives and remaining cooking liquid in blender; puree until smooth. Mix into leek puree. Season with salt and pepper. Chill, at least 4 hours and up to 6 hours.
• Stir soup and ladle into bowls. Garnish with radishes, if desired.