HOW TO PREPARE COLD LEEK & POTATO SOUP WITH SMOKED SALMON

Difficulty Level: 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3.5 oz Ora King Smoked Salmon, cut into ½” long x ¼” thick slices

2 Tbs. Unsalted Butter

2 medium-sized Leeks, white and light green parts only, split down the middle, and cut across into half-moons, washed*

1 oz. Celery, thin sliced

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

3 1⁄2 cups water

1 lb. Russet Potato, peeled, diced 1⁄4", and held in cold water until ready

1⁄4 tsp. White Pepper

1 cups Milk

1⁄2 cup Heavy Cream

 

Assembling Ingredients:

1⁄2 medium Celery stalk, bottom end trimmed, leaves removed, washed

2 tsp. chives, sliced across thin

6 tps. Crème fraiche or sour cream

1 1⁄2 tsp Tobiko caviar

Zest from 1 lemon

 

How to prepare the soup:

1. Melt the butter in a sauce pot over medium heat.
2. Add the washed leeks, the celery, and the salt and cook gently, stirring quite often, until the leeks are soft and no water remains. (You may have to add 1 or 2 Tbs of additional water to the pot so the leeks don’t brown before they are done. If so, cook until the water has evaporated.)
3. Add the potatoes, the water and the white pepper to the pot and bring the ingredients to a gentle simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked and pretty much falling apart. Stir the pot often so the potatoes stay below the water level. 
4. Remove the pot from the heat and transfer the contents to a blender canister.
5. Add the milk and turn the blender on just long enough to puree the ingredients.
6. Turn off the blender and add the cream. Blend on low just to incorporate the cream. (Too long and it can start to thicken.)
7. Transfer to a bowl and cool over an ice bath, stirring often.
8. When close to 41 degrees, recheck seasoning, place in a storage container, cover with a lid, and store in your refrigerator.

How to assemble your dish:

1. Cut the celery stalk across into paper thin slices using a hand-held food slicer or very sharp knife. Place these into ice water for at least 15 minutes to get very crunchy. (save 12 pieces for garnish)
2. Place cold soup in a large bowl. Drain the celery and add to the soup, minus the garnish, along with the smoked salmon slices, and 1 1⁄2 tsp. chives.
3. Gently fold ingredients together with a spoon or spatula until incorporated and salmon is separated.
4. Ladle 6 fl oz into each of 6 cold soup cups.
5. Top each with a 1 tsp dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream.
6. Place 2 slices of crisp celery on top of each dollop, followed by a ¼ tsp of tobiko caviar.
7. Sprinkle reserved chives over each cup.
8. Using a microplane, zest a little lemon zest into each cup over the soup

 *Cut away all of the dark green leaves as they are very tough, and just use the lighter green and white portions. No matter what, you will ALWAYS need to wash your leeks to remove the sand that gets lodged between the leaves. Do not overlook this step. Best to cut them completely and wash them while cut. Just let them drain in the colander as you prepare the other ingredients