VICHYSSOISE

As you can see, I'm back with a vengeance, and I don't mean guillotine! And if you don't know what that means, you don't know your Dickens.

You may have guessed by now that I love my dog, Ludwig. And I'm sure you've noticed that he is completely lovable and adorable (everyone says so!). You might have already suspected that since I cook for humans, I also cook for my dog and you are completely and totally correct on that score. He has a daily regimen of kibble mixed in with boiled chicken and as you can imagine, our house is never in short supply of chicken stock. I often reuse the same stock to boil more chicken and by around the 4th or 5th boiling, I can absolutely verify that what I have is some of the richest and most flavorful chicken stock money can't buy. And, this being summer, taking inspiration from a far flung friend from Fire Island (was that alliterative enough for you?) who made Vichyssoise last week, I decided to make a batch of my own. He, too, uses chicken stock many times enriched, which results in an extraordinarily unctuous elixir. 

First of all, one must make the stock. I use a combination of chicken breasts and thighs (bone definitely in). Bring the contents of the stock pot to a boil and lower heat to lowest possible setting and immediately skim all residue and scum off the top and discard. Skimming ensures that you will have a clear broth by the end of the cooking time. I always make my stock and Ludwig's chicken the night before and when it's completely finished cooking (about 2 hours), I turn off the heat and let it sit and cool before removing the chicken. Save the broth in the fridge until the next time you'll need to make chicken. In this case, I freeze it because I make enough chicken for a week. For Vichyssoise, you will have to thaw and/or reheat the stock and season it accordingly with the usual vegetables, herbs and salt before making the actual soup. 

Chicken Stock

2 whole chicken breasts

4 chicken thighs (bone in)

8 cups water

Bring everything to a boil, turn to simmer and skim off the scum

Cover and allow to cook for 2 hours. See directions above.

VICHYSSOISE

VICHYSSOISE

Reheat broth and add 

1 chopped carrot 

1 whole leek, chopped (white part only)

1 stalk chopped celery

Herb bouquet consisting of a few sprigs of the following: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, one bay leaf and 3-4 black pepper corns tied in cheesecloth. 

Cook for another hour. Remove herb bouquet, add 

3-4 peeled potatoes cut into medium sized dice 

1 stalk of leeks, again white part only, chopped, 

and

1 peeled and diced carrot (optional)

Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 20 minutes. 

Mash the contents with a potato masher and then liquefy with an emulsion blender until you have a smooth, creamy soup (potage).

Let cool and refrigerate (covered) for 2 hours.

Add 1 pint heavy cream, correct seasoning (cold soups always need to be salted more), and add

20 stalks of chives chopped to even lenghts.

Strew the chives into the soup and chill for at least another hour or overnight.

Serve at your leisure.

Bon appetit!