Potato Leek Soup

     Potato leek soup has to be the all time greatest chilly weather soup.  The simple flavors of leeks and potato in this cream soup are very satisfying.
     This recipe is not a puree soup version!  The potatoes are chunky style in this recipe.  Many chefs seem to puree every soup that they get their hands on.  Electric appliances make it easy to puree soups and it is not like the old days, when soup was pureed by passing it through a fine mesh strainer.  The extra labor involved, added class to a puree soup in the old days, but that was the old days.  Sometimes, puree soups remind me of retirement home cuisine.  A chunky style soup does have more character.
     I've sold this chunky style potato leek soup in cafes, pubs, restaurants and bistros.  The best potato leek soup clientele that I ever had was at an English Pub, where I was the chef.  The Irish and English customers loved this chunky style of potato leek soup!  Irish customers said that they disliked the texture of a pureed potato leek soup and they preferred the heartier chunky texture.
  
     Potato Leek Soup Recipe:
     This recipe makes 1 large serving of soup!
     Heat a sauce pot over medium/medium low heat.
     Add 3 of unsalted butter.
     Add an equal amount of flour, while constantly stirring to form a roux.  (There will be some roux leftover from this recipe.  It can be refrigerated and used for another recipe.)
     Stir until the roux thoroughly combines to become a white roux color.  (The roux should be white and not blonde.  There should be no hazelnut aroma from the white roux!)
     Set the roux aside when it is done cooking.
     Heat a sauce pot over medium low/low heat.
     Add 2 pats of unsalted butter.
     Add 1/2 cup chopped leek.  (The white and pale green part of a leek is best for this recipe.)
     Gently saute and sweat the chopped leek, till it becomes very tender.  (Do not allow the leek to brown!)
     Add 1 cup of light chicken broth.
     Add 3/4 cup of cream.
     Add 3/4 cup of milk.
     Raise the temperature to medium heat.
     When the soup begins to gently boil, add just enough of the white roux to thicken the soup to a medium thin sauce consistency, while stirring with a whisk,
     Add 1 1/2 cups of diced russet potato.
     Add sea salt and white pepper.
     When the soup returns to a gentle boil, reduce the temperature to low heat
     Simmer the soup and stir occasionally.
     When the potatoes become cooked tender, then the soup is ready.
     Ladle the soup into a bowl and float a few parsley leaves on top of the soup.
  
     You can puree this soup, but the little potato chunks add to this soup's character.  Sometimes an uncomplicated soup is very satisfying.  The leeks are the main flavor of this soup and there is no need for any added extra herbs.  Potato leek soup is one of life's great simple pleasures.  Especially on a chilly rainy day!  Yum!  ...  Shawna