Lemongrass Vichyssoise Recipes

CLASSIC VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• In a large stock pot melt butter over low heat. Add leeks and onion, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme, marjoram, bay leaf and stir well. Cover pot and continue to cook for 12 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, partially covered for 30 minutes.
• Puree soup in blender or food processor and cool.
• Prior to serving add cream. If you are serving this soup warm you need to reheat the soup slowly so that the cream does not change consistency.

LEMONGRASS VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, leeks, onions, lemon grass and lime leaves; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Do not allow to color.
• Add potatoes, bay leaves, salt, pepper and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, cooking 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Allow to cool a little; strain, reserving broth, and remove bay leaves.
• Place some solids with a little broth in blender, and puree. Spoon into bowl. Repeat process until all solids are pureed; you will probably have to use all the broth to do this, but do not allow the mixture to become too thin, because the cream must still be added. Stir in the cream. Adjust seasoning, and chill completely, at least several hours.
• To serve, chop the chives, and stir vichyssoise thoroughly. Spoon 1 cup into soup bowl, and sprinkle with chives. If mixture is too thick, add a little milk to thin it out.

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.