Vichyssoise (a.k.a. Potato-Leek Soup)

Ah, vichyssoise. Not actually French, interestingly enough - it was invented by the (French) head chef at the Ritz-Carlton in NYC around the turn of the 20th century. He named it after his hometown of Vichy, and until the 30's the Ritz's menus were published in French - hence, vichyssoise!

Despite the hard-to-pronounce name and somewhat pretentious history, it is very easy to make provided you have an immersion blender (sometimes called a stick blender.) You can technically puree the soup in an upright blender but pouring a gallon of hot soup is not my idea of fun (or safe.)

Hardware:
large stock pot with lid
good potato peeler (I actually recommend the Titan peeler of infomercial fame)
immersion blender

Software:
Approximately 1.5 cups of diced leeks (the yield from 2 large or 3 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only)
Approximately 4 cups cubed russet potatoes, peeled (the yield of 5-6 medium potatoes)
1 quart good quality chicken broth or stock
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup whole milk (or half & half, or cream)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
salt to taste
dash ground cayenne (optional)

Remove the leafy green heads and root ends of the leeks. Starting where the stalk turns light green, split and chop the leeks into half-rings. Peel the potatoes and cube, set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced leeks and a pinch of salt; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened. Add the potatoes and chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, milk, parmesan, vinegar and spices. Once the butter is melted, use your immersion blender to puree the potatoes and leeks until smooth and creamy. Season to taste and serve immediately, or chill and serve with a splash of milk to loosen the soup (it will be slightly thin when hot, but will thicken considerably as it cools to room temperature.)

The 'traditional' preparation adds a splash of brandy or cognac at the end but I find it to overpower the subtle flavors of the soup.

If you are using good quality chicken broth (which is lower in sodium, generally) you will find that this dish takes a LOT of salt to taste right. If it tastes bland after adding the spices try adding more salt before adding more spice.