The New York-based writer shares her great-grandmother’s recipe for this fragrant comfort food.
New York City-based editor and writer Whitney Mallet can trace her love of adventure back to her great-grandmother or “GG.” She “grew up with a dad poisoned by mustard gas, the baby girl to a bunch of brothers who worked in the mines, and a big lover of books,” Mallet recalls. “At 17, she rode off with my great-grandfather on the back of his motorcycle.” Today, the writer reminisces on these anecdotes whenever she takes a sip of gin or gets a whiff of her great-grandmother’s leek soup filling the kitchen.
Ingredients
- 4 medium leeks (2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon shallots finely chopped
- ½ clove garlic
- 2 cups peeled potatoes
- 2 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
- ¼ cup butter
- 4 to 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and white pepper
- ¼ cup table cream
- 8 ounces Stilton cheese or Danish Blue
Instructions
- Finely chop the white part of the leeks
- Put finely chopped leeks and shallots in a pan over medium heat in ¼ cup of butter for 5 minutes or until soft
- Add potato, garlic, parsley, nutmeg, and chicken stock to pan
- Cook until mixture is very soft (20 minutes)
- Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender
- Add salt, pepper, and cream (warmed up)
- Top with a crumbled cheese of your choosing to taste and serve.