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Friday, November 6, 2009

Potato Leek Soup: Even better in Nantes

Frugal Son is in France. Though he occasionally mentions his language classes, he mostly talks about his adventures in cooking. He's bought such expensive treats as chanterelles and fancy shellfish. Today, he wrote ecstatically about his cooking of the iconic French soup, potato-leek. I've made the soup a number of times; I don't remember the ecstasy.

Below is our on-line chat, slightly edited, with a frugal ending.



8:36 PM me: hi mon fils
8:37 PM FS: holy sh**
me: what
FS: leek soup is so good
me: did you make the easy or the super-easy?
8:38 PM it's also amazingly cheap--called soupe bonne femme-housewife soup
FS: holy god it's just perfect in every way
first I gently cooked the leeks in butter (without browning)
me: Americans goop it up w/ chicken stock, bacon, sour cream, etc
FS: and I added a little bit of garlic
8:39 PM then I put in potatoes, water
and at the end, milk
salt, and pepper
I will admit I put in a tiny tiny tiny bit of chicken bouillion
but seriously
just a tiny tiny bit
don't hate me!
me: only a tiny bit
8:40 PM FS: ok :(
but still
it was super super good
8:41 PM I would estimate a meal for 2 - 3 "MOIs" would cost about 4 euros to make
maybe less
no no definitely less
maybe 2.50 euros


It's soooooo good. And, with the money you save on dinner, you can start your Paris fund.

7 comments:

Funny about Money said...

Glorioski!

This is similar to Julia Childs's potage parmentier, only she used cream instead of milk. She also insisted: no chicken broth.

We used to have watercress growing in the river that ran through the ranch. It is marvelous added to potato-leek soup.

Duchesse said...

Well yeah, if you use *cream* any soup is pretty good. I too use a little chicken stock but not bacon or sour cream! It's so delightful to read these posts of his food life in France, bon appetit, petit fils!

FB @ FabulouslyBroke.com said...

Perhaps he is so hungry, even a shoe would taste good?

I'm teasing. :)

I've made the soup before, and haven't found it as delicious as what he's describing.. then again, I am more of a girl that enjoys meatier soups with lots of things in there to eat and discover.

Which reminds me.. I feel like making chicken noodle soup this weekend. AGAIN.

SLF said...

I've been so busy making "exotic" dishes and reveling in the bounty of the market that I had forgotten how satisfying and delicious a simple soup could be. The next time I will make it without chicken bouillon. I think I was suffering from "cook's nose" so I couldn't taste the subtleties of the soup after I had just spent the past hour smelling it cook.

--Frugal Son

Suzy said...

I think anything would taste better in France!

Frugal Scholar said...

@Funny--Those are Julia's recipes. She has two: one where you saute the leek, and one where you just throw everything into the pot.

@Duchesse--He just got back from Amsterdam, where the food was not so exciting. He has become a self-described "foodie.'

@FB--Give it another chance. You may be surprised.

@Suzy--True. Especially after walking all day.

SLF said...

Mama, I just haven't had time to tell you yet but the food scene in Amsterdam was actually pretty exciting!

--Frugal Son