This week's French Garden recipe

People who know me would tell you that it's hard to tell which I like more: gardening or cooking. I'd say it depends on which I'm doing at the moment. Anyway, French cooking and French gardening go hand in hand. For me, cooking is an on-going adventure. Join me here on my culinary explorations, where I share with you both my old favorites as well as new inspirations. It's my fondest wish that these recipes serve as a springboard for your own new creations.

02/04/2002
Watercress soup (Potage de cresson)

Ingredients:

1 lb. watercress, fresh and dark green
1 small leek, white part only
1 lb. potatoes (not waxy) such as Yukon Gold
5 T. unsalted butter
1 qt. homemade chicken broth*
2/3 c. crème fraîche or substitute non-ultra-pasteurized heavy cream, but do not use sour cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Reserve 28 extra-perfect watercress leaves, wash them, and reserve them in the refrigerator.

Remove the remaining leaves from the stalks, discarding any leaves that are the least bit yellow or slimy. Reserve the top 2/3 of the stalks and discard the rest. Wash and drain everything thoroughly. Chop the reserved stem tips. Clean the white portion of the leek and chop it finely. Peel the potatoes and cut them in 1/2" cubes.

Blanch the watercress leaves in boiling, lightly salted water just until they have collapsed. Drain and refresh under cold water; drain and press out all moisture.

Melt 3 T. butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat and soften the leeks and the chopped cress stems over low heat without letting them color (this is called "sweating"). Add the homemade chicken broth, bring to a gentle boil, and add the potato cubes. Cook gently 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the crème fraîche or heavy cream to a gentle boil in a small saucepan, and add the blanched cress leaves. Lower the heat and simmer 2 minutes. Add to the soup, then puree the entire mixture in a food processor. Do it in batches and be careful because of the heat of the mixture. Return to the saucepan and heat gently without boiling. Adjust the seasoning. Stir in the remaining 2 T. butter. Note how delicious this soup is.

Divide the reserved perfect cress leaves among 4 soup plates. Pour the very hot soup over them and serve immediately.

*Making good chicken stock is essential to good cooking. Here's how to do it. Select a good, flavorful chicken, free range if possible. Wash it. Cover it with fresh water in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and skim off all the foam and scum that rises to the surface over the next 15 minutes. Then add: 1 large onion, chopped; 2-3 carrots chopped; 2-3 stalks celery including leaves, chopped; a leek or some leek greens, cleaned and sliced; a bouquet garni of plenty of Italian parsley, some sprigs of thyme, and a bay leaf; about 6 black peppercorns. I prefer not to add salt, because I often reduce the stock to make sauces, which concentrates its saltiness unpredictably. Simmer for 2-3 hours. Strain and refrigerate or freeze.

Watercress soup is a French classic, and practically the only thing the French do with watercress. In this recipe, impeccable freshness and careful treatment renders humble ingredients into an absolutely exquisite soup.

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Products of Interest:
Vallée Noire stoneware conical soup tureen

Try some of our past French garden recipes:

Appetizers and small dishes

Basics

Beef, pork, lamb, and veal