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Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon and Rosemary

Source of Recipe

From "The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook" by Brian Noyes


Recipe Introduction

"This luscious soup is the first dish I made on my own at eighteen, in my new apartment two blocks from Newport Bay in Corona del Mar, California. I was the just-hired art director of the Newport Ensign weekly newspaper and tested this recipe (my professional cooking debut!) before we ran it in our Coastal Living section. My clipping is covered with forty years' worth of food splatters and my subsequent notes about ingredient substitutions, and I now can barely unfold it without the pages crumbling. Luckily, I can make this from memory, although I'll be glad to see it in print again with this book. A little dry sherry really makes a big difference, but if you prefer to avoid booze, just omit it."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3 thick slices smoked bacon
â—¦ 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced
â—¦ 1 large leek, white and green parts, crosswise in chunks and rinsed well
â—¦ 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
â—¦ 3 cups chicken stock
â—¦ 3 cups whole milk
â—¦ 2 tablespoons dry sherry
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 cup heavy cream
â—¦ 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced, for garnish


Recipe

In a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until browned but not too crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Add the potatoes, leek, and rosemary to the pot, increase the heat to medium, and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the stock and milk. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool for 15 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Wipe the pot clean and return the purée to the pot. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook over low heat for 10 minutes more, just to warm it through. Meanwhile, crumble or finely chop the bacon and set it aside.

Whisk the cream into the puréed soup and continue to cook for 1 minute more, or until warmed through. Divide the soup among bowls and garnish with the sliced scallions and crumbled bacon. The soup can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Serves 6