Ingredients
2 medium leeks, white part only
2 tbsp flavorless cooking oil
3 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken, broth
3 cup water
1 1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 sour cream
1 chopped chives
Directions
REMOVE THE ROOT END OF THE LEEKS, trim the dark green tops and
reserve for another use. Slice the light part into 1/2-inch rounds,
wash well and set aside on a plate. Heat the oil in a pot, over
medium heat, and add the leeks. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add
stock, water, potatoes, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Raise heat to high,
cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered,
for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree the soup in batches. Place
pureed soup in a pot and reheat, covered, over low heat. To serve,
place a generous dollop of sour cream in the bottom of each soup bowl
and sprinkle with chopped chives. Transfer piping hot soup to a
tureen or pitcher and pour into bowls at the table. Refrigerate soup
for up to 3 days or freeze the soup in 3-cup batches.
MICHAEL ROBERTS - PRODIGY GUEST CHEFS COOKBOOK
Servings: 6 servings
Potato Soup (Prodigy) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Soup; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to trace the history of written cooking instructions back into antiquity, certainly as far back into recorded history as the Egyptians, and maybe even further. In practice though, generally, these early cookbooks were just very simple pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing meals.
The truth of the matter is, the oldest recipe found, according to experts is a series of tablets in Sumerian describing the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who drank it feel `blissful`. As we move into The time of the romans 25BC a man called Apicius assembled some documents detailing recipes prepared by wealthy roman citizens. In his works, he describes how the roman meals were separated into appetizers, main course and desserts, a style of dining still practiced today. He also describes how the ancient chefs used many different aromatic flavours, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens such as bay, rue and dill. Closer to modern times, there are a couple of cookery books which were published in the fourteenth century - a book published under the title `Forme of Cury`, and another entitled `Curye on Inglish`. Despite their titles, these two books are unconnected to the indian curry that is popular today, but rather accounts of the types of food on the menus of the wealthy. Later, in the 15th century, the Crusaders brought back a variety of foods and herbs from the East, including spices like coriander, basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new culinary ideas created a torrent in recipe books, many of which still exist in private cookery archives. During the next few hundred years, the powerful families of Europe competed to lay on the most extravagent meals, and as a result the best chefs and their recipes could command a high salary. However, it was during the nineteenth century that cookery and recipe collections really came of age. The Famous Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, dedicated their lives to collating, trying out, and recording the recipes that were being prepared for the better households. By the time we get to the twentieth century, recipe publications were highly popular mostly as a result of increased literacy, people having increased free time and having more money to spend. |
We hope you enjoy this Potato Soup (Prodigy) recipe.
