Mid-Week Update: Potage Parmentier

Tonight we had planned to head to the gym after work, so a mid-week recipe post did not seem all that likely. But the highway was so backed up and the weather so crummy...we turned right around and headed to our market. With leftover cream at home and a gloomy weather forecast, something 'not-low-fat' and comforting was in the cards. As it happens, this week I received my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume I, and the very first recipe is "Potage Parmentier," or "Leek/Onion and Potato Soup." All I really needed to buy was potatoes and leeks. But I had a feeling that I would end up straying from the recipe, so I also bought oyster and maitake mushrooms and sustainably caught petrale sole (all from local sources). I didn't have a clear idea of what I would do with these ingredients...but sometimes that's half the fun!

I may have committed a culinary sin by straying from Julia Child's recipe. But I was tired, and rushed, and feeling very anti-directions-ish; so I threw some water in a pot, threw the prepped leeks and potatoes after it, and then just started adding/adjusting as I went. I also discovered that I still had an ENTIRE large tupperware full of leftover potatoes and kale, so I quickly decided to make that into a soup as well. It was definitely a night for experimentation. I tossed the leftovers, (potatoes, kale, onions) into a pot with some chicken stock and water and simmered it for a while, then added salt and a splash of white wine. Then I removed it from the heat and pureed until smooth with my emersion blender. The result was not pretty by any means (the purple potatoes and kale turned it a rather bleak shade of beige), and was rather thick; but it was really quite yummy once I added enough salt. I'm saving it - maybe even freezing it - and will figure out something to do with it later.



Not very pretty...


My REAL potato soup turned out wonderfully golden and thin and mild, a lovely base for something else. It probably should have been thicker, but I liked this in-between thick and thin state. Once the soup was ready, I finally turned to my mushrooms and sole; I cooked them together in a pan with butter and olive oil. I figured we'd have mushrooms in our soup with a random side'o'sole. But when they were ready I was suddenly inspired to taste the fish with the soup, and voila!, I had made a 'bisque!' Sometimes the best cooking experiences are full of surprises.
















Potage Parmentier a la Jasmine

10 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & quartered
1 1/2 quarts water (this can vary)
1/2 quart chicken stock (optional...or use more!)
2-3 lbs leeks, white & light green parts, cut into thin rounds
2-4 TB butter 1-2 cups heavy cream (this can also vary)
splash of white wine (optional)
shaved parmesan cheese, to taste or just as garnish
plenty of salt (very important!)

Bring the water to boil, add potatoes and leeks, simmer until starting to soften (30-45 min).

Add broth, wine, and salt. Cook until potatoes falling apart (10-14 min more).

Add cream and parmesan; using hand held emersion blender or regular blender, puree until smooth. Adjust flavor/texture as needed by adding more cream, butter, parmesan, chicken stock, salt.
Top w/ chopped parsley.


















Potato Leek & Sole Bisque w/ Mushrooms

Potage Parmentier (from recipe above)
2 small petrale sole fillets, sprinkled w/ olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon
1 cup mixed mushrooms (I used oyster and maitake), chopped

Cook the mushrooms in 1 TB butter over medium heat, 10 min, until soft and starting to brown. Push to edges of pan, put the fillets in the center, cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until white and flaky.

Remove from heat, break fish into small chunks, split fish and mushrooms between 2 bowls. Pour in soup, top w/ parsley and parmesan.





Next time, I will follow Julia's recipe to a 'T', I swear...but this is NOT Julie and Julia here people, and sometimes I just need to play!

~Happy eating~