Den här soppan gjordes av min sambo till nyårsmiddagen och receptet får bli på engelska nedan. Toasten var inte mer komplicerad än att vi garnerade ugnsrostat bröd med löjrom, créme fraiche och gräslök.

Vichyssoise
Being as Vichyssoise is a well established recipe it is very hard to get away from existing recipes and mine is no different. As it was New Year and i didnt want to let the dinner down with a sickly tasting white goo i felt that i would keep it simple. The recipe is a cross between prosper montagnes recipe from his food bible and a bit of Antony Bourdains recipe from his Les Halles cook book. However you decide to make it you are going to not stray to far from all existing recipes, as after all how many ways can you make cold leek and potatoe soup. Here it is:

• 250g leeks
• 250g Potatoes
• 60g butter
• 1 celery stick
• 1/2 small onion
• 1.5 litres veg stock.( sad to say it was Knorrs bouillon)
• 350ml cream
• 1 bouquet garni (rosemary,garlic,thyme,sage)
• salt and pepper
• for decoration:parsnip crisps and chopped chives

Chop leek,onion and celery fry in the butter until soft and so they dont take any colour. Once soft, add the potatoes and cook for a bit longer approx. 5 minutes. Add the stock to the pan and raise the heat to a gentle boil. add the bouquet garni and some salt and pepper. Boil for approx 35 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft. Remove from the stove then blend with a hand mixer until smooth, return to the stove and add trhe cream mixing thoroughly and put on a low heat for a further 5-10 minutes. Once you feel happy with the seasoning you remove from the stove and allow to cool then place the soup in a terreine in the fridge or freezer. Once it is in the freezer you make the parsnip crisps and chop the chives.

To make the parsnip crisps simply slice the parsnips thinly and fry in oil over a moderate to high heat, empty on a piece of kitchen paper to drain and season with salt.

Serve in chilled soup bowls with the parsnip crisps and chopped chives. it doesnt get much easier than that.

I must add a small comment about our small pokey kitchen and the sight that greeted me on new years eve, it was a food lovers paradise and as close to food porn as i will ever get. Three very attractive and very beautifully dressed women were running around the kitchen in aprons. move over Nigella the tre tjejer i koket could be our new domestic goddesses.

Potatis- och purjolökssoppa med palsternackschips och löjromstoast ingick i Ragazzes nyårsmeny 2006.