Chicken Vichy Food

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Gently sweat the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in butter or margarine until soft, about 8 minutes. Do NOT let them brown.
• Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste; do not overdo them! Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
• Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Cool. Gently stir in the cream before serving.

CLASSIC VICHYSSOISE SOUP

Steps:

• In a heavy bottomed pot, or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and the butter, over medium high heat.
• Sauté the onion until translucent (about 2 minutes).
• Add the leeks and sauté until soft (about 4-5 min).
• Add the potatoes and sauté with the onions and leeks for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can work in batches using a regular blender.
• Add the heavy cream and turn the heat back up to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes so it thickens a little.
• Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Remove from heat.
• Wait for the soup to cool down to room temperature and chill for at least one hour before serving (overnight is better).
• Garnish with some chopped chives and serve.

ZUCCHINI VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a large stockpot, add the leeks, and saute over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, zucchini, chicken stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then process through a food mill fitted with the medium disc. Add the cream and season to taste. Serve either cold or hot, garnished with chopped chives and/or zucchini.

VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in the pressure cooker pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, celery leaves and 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring often, until soft, approximately 8 minutes. If the leeks start to brown during this process, reduce the heat.
• Drain the potato pieces and add to the pot along with the simmering chicken broth. Clamp on the cooker's lid, (according to the manufacturer's instructions) and bring to full pressure over high heat.
• Once pressure is attained (there will be a loud whistle) back the heat down to medium-low, just maintaining a hissing of steam for 8 minutes.
• Kill the heat and release the steam pressure by opening the dump valve or setting the cooker under cold, running water. When the lid can be removed, carefully transfer the mixture to a blender carafe. (If the mixture fills your carafe more than two-thirds full, work in two batches!)
• Top the carafe with the main lid but remove the center lid so that air can escape as it heats and expands. Cover the lid tightly with a tea towel and blend on low for 1 minute before slowly increasing the speed to smoothly puree the potatoes. (Although you want to increase the speed slowly, try not to puree the potatoes too long as they could become gummy.)
• Transfer the mixture back to the pot and whisk in the cream. Stir in the white pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning (I always need the rest of the salt). Chill thoroughly then serve garnished with a small spoonful of the roe and dill fronds.
• Tightly covered, the vichyssoise will keep a week in the refrigerator. The soup can also be frozen in ice-cube trays then kept in freezer bags for up to three months.

CLASSIC VICHYSSOISE

Steps:

• In a large stock pot melt butter over low heat. Add leeks and onion, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add thyme, marjoram, bay leaf and stir well. Cover pot and continue to cook for 12 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, partially covered for 30 minutes.
• Puree soup in blender or food processor and cool.
• Prior to serving add cream. If you are serving this soup warm you need to reheat the soup slowly so that the cream does not change consistency.

CHICKEN VICHY

Steps:

• In a deep pan melt the butter and fry the chicken till browned all over.
• Pour in the sherry and flambe the chicken, when the flames die out remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
• Add the onions and carrots to the pot and sweat them over low heat, with the pot covered, cook till they are tender.
• Place the chicken on top of the onions, add the red wine, stock, bouquet garni and tomato puree. Stir well cover the the pot, bring it to the boil, reduce the heat and cook till the chicken is cooked.
• Remove the chicken and strain the juices into a small pan, thicken with the cornflower mixed with water, boil.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken.
• Serve with roasted vegetables (potatoes/parsnips ) and a green vegetable. Enjoy.