“Fat gives things flavor.” -Julia Child. Very wise words spoken by a wise woman. Julia Child made French cuisine accessible. And boy did she love butter… and cream… and cake… well just think of a French Paula Dean without the whole scandal. Sadly, we all know we can’t eat meals that contain a pint of cream everyday, which is awful because fat is where the flavor is in food.
So in the modern age, we must find ways of cutting the cream but still making tasty food. This is our take on her classic Parmentier a.k.a. Potato Leek soup. I love this soup, it is delicious and pretty easy to bring together. The big changes contribute to giving the soup a more robust flavor so we can leave out some of the cream. I don’t purée this soup, it’s a personal preference. I do however, mash some of the potatoes once they have finished cooking to thicken up the soup.
Parmentier is just one of those soups that can class up any event. It’s French, which we automatically associate with fine dining (while their fine dining is great, French street food is the bees knees). It is simple but full of flavor and people THINK it’s hard, when in reality, it’s quite simple. One hour to prepare, cook, and serve, most of which is down time. So do as Julia would, pour yourself a glass of red wine and relax, you deserve it.
Modern Parmentier
- 4-5 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 large leeks, sliced (only the white and light green portions)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- A healthy pinch of marjoram (about 1 teaspoon dry)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until fragrant (about 3 minutes). Add the potatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Cooking the potatoes before adding the water and stock help them develop a richer flavor. Add the water and stock and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow it to cook for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Add the cream, sour cream, and milk, mixing well. Mash a few of the potatoes and mix again.
Add marjoram, parsley (I didn’t add any here because I had already added a healthy amount to my chicken stock), lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve with some crusty bread and you have a complete meal.
