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Potage Crécy

Few things are more uplifting in the dead of winter than a bowl of this bright orange soup, which is equally good served cold in the summer. Don’t overcook the carrots or you’ll lose the beautiful color. This soup can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, then reheated if necessary.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, sliced
1 pound carrots, roughly chopped or grated
1 large baking potato, like Idaho or russet, peeled and roughly chopped or grated
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade (page 160 or 162)
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream, optional
1/4 cup chopped fresh chervil or parsley leaves for garnish

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrots, potato, salt, pepper, and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the carrots begin to break down. Add the stock, raise the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.

    Step 2

    Using a food mill, an immersion blender, or an upright blender, puree the mixture until smooth, working in batches if necessary. (In this as in every instance, take care when pureeing hot liquid; it’s best, if you have the time, to let the mixture cool to room temperature before pureeing; or cover and refrigerate for up to a couple of days before pureeing.)

    Step 3

    To serve hot, reheat the soup in the saucepan. To serve it cold, refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours. Stir in the crème fraîche or sour cream if you’re using it, then garnish with chervil and serve.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
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