Finally I got around to trying my very first (and the very first) recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck. I did mention a while back that my sister had bought this wonderful book for me as a present. I read quite a bit of it, bookmarked a few recipes and then decided to try one. Naturally, the first recipe of the book is the one I chose. Simple and light, yet flavourful and satisfying. I was quite surprised that such few ingredients could be transformed so well.
Potato-Leek Soup (Potage Parmentier)
from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child
- 1 lb. peeled potatoes, sliced or diced
- 1 lb. leeks (or yellow onions), thinly sliced
- 2 qts. water
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 4-6 Tbsp. heavy cream or 2 to 3 Tbsp. butter
- Parsley or Chives for garnish
Simmer water, salt and vegetables together, partially covered for 40 to 50 minutes until vegetables are tender. Using an immersion blender (or a food processor when the soup has cooled a bit), blend soup until smooth. Just before serving, reheat soup to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in soft butter or cream. Top with garnish and serve!
What an incredibly simple recipe, for such sophisticated results. It was definitely a success and I look forward to trying more recipes from this book, and to continue reading and learning.
What I love about this book is the detail in the recipes. She ensures that you understand what you are doing, to produce almost foolproof results. The writing is comprehensive but not overwhelming, and you feel like you are being taught by someone who truly loves food. Thus far, I recommend the book if only for the writing, but I will continue to test more recipes and share some of them along the way.
Bon Appetit! :)
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