Vichyssoise

Unicorn (unicron@prodigy.net)
Tue, 23 Jun 1998 18:23:34 -0400

You might have thought that Vichyssoise was a French dish, and so did I. Actually, its roots are
French but it was created about 1917 at the New York Ritz-Carlton Hotel by Chef Louis Diat. Chef
Diat modeled it after a leek and potato soup his mother used to serve when he was growing up in a
town near Vichy, France. According to Jean Anderson in her excellent "The American Century
Cookbook"* the name was almost changed to "Creme Gauloise" during World War II when a group
of chefs in the USA voted to change it as a protest against the Vichy government of France. Here is
the recipe almost exactly as it was printed by Chef Diat in his 1941cookbook "Dining a la Ritz".

Cream Vichyssoise Glacée

4 leeks, white part
1 medium onion
4 Tbs (60 ml) sweet butter
5 medium potatoes
1 qt (1 L) water or chicken broth
1 Tbs (15 ml) salt
2 cups (500 ml) milk
2 cups (500 ml) medium cream
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream

Finely slice the white parts of the leeks and the onion, and brown very lightly in the sweet butter,
then add the potatoes, also sliced finely. Add the water or broth and salt.
Boil from 35 to 40 minutes. Crush and rub through a fine strainer. Return to fire and add the milk
and medium cream. Season to taste and bring to a boil. Cool and then rub through a very
fine strainer. When soup is cold add the heavy cream. Chill thoroughly before serving.
Finely chopped chives may be added before serving.