A refreshing cream for summer
French gastronomy is recognized worldwide for its variety of delicious dishes. Among them, vichyssoise stands out, a light and fresh cream that has become one of the star dishes of summer. Its combination of leek, onion, potato, milk and cream makes it an ideal option to beat the heat and enjoy a refreshing meal.
The enigma of the origin of vichyssoise
The origin of vichyssoise is a mystery that has generated various theories over the years. One of them attributes its creation to a French chef named Louis Diat, who worked at the Ritz hotel in New York. According to this version, Diat was inspired by a leek soup that his mother used to prepare. He decided to experiment and cooled the soup by adding cold milk, as well as adding cream and chives to give it a special touch. To honor his place of origin, he decided to call this creation ‘vichyssoise’, in reference to a town near his hometown.
However, there is another theory that vichyssoise was first mentioned in a column in the ‘New York Herald Tribune’ in 1930, written by Ludus Beebe. This version suggests that the origin of this cream may be related to France, Spain or even the United States.
The vichyssoise recipe
If you want to prepare a delicious vichyssoise at home, you will need the following ingredients:
– Leek
– Onion
– Potato
– Leche
– Liquid cream
Below, we explain how to make it step by step:
Step 1: Preparation of the leeks
Clean the leeks thoroughly and cut them crosswise. Then, rinse them under the tap, removing the first layer and leaving the rest of the food. Use the white part of the leek, cutting it into pieces or slices.
Step 2: Preparation of the potatoes
Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into pieces. These will be another fundamental ingredient of vichyssoise. In a pot, melt butter over low heat and add the potatoes to sauté them.
Step 3: Cook the vichyssoise
Add chicken broth and increase the heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Then, use a mixer to puree the mixture and add the liquid cream. Strain the cream to remove any impurities and that’s it! Now you can enjoy a delicious vichyssoise.
