Vive le vichyssoise!

A recent conversation with my Mum prompted my first ever eBay purchase. Mum was wanting to give me her copy of Margaret Fulton's 1970s 'Crockpot Cookbook', but it was sadly misplaced over the years of moving and Spring cleaning. So, a few clicks later, my very own copy was on its way in the post!

This year, Margaret Fulton released an updated 'Slow Cooking' version of this classic, which looks wonderful, but I'm happy to have the original. Food - like fashion - is a product of its time, and a vintage recipe book is nicely nostalgic!

The first recipe I have been able to try out is, like the recipe book itself, a classic: vichyssoise. It is a French soup, made from leeks and potatoes and is served chilled.

Here is Mrs Fulton's recipe:

2 leeks
30gm butter
1/2 onion
Salt and pepper
2 medium potatoes, diced
3 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of cream

This recipe taught me a new way of preparing leeks. Slice them lengthways first to wash out any dirt, then slice them finely. Add the sliced leeks to your pre-heated slow cooker in which you have placed your dobb of butter, which should be melting. Next, add your diced potatoes, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add your chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian version) and then set your slow cooker on overnight on low for 10-12 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, depending on what is more convenient for you.

Once the cooking time has ended, use a stick blender, or a normal blender to purée the soup. Once puréed, I then pushed the soup in about four portions through a sieve. This was a little time consuming, but was worth it to produce a silky finish to the soup. Finally, I added the cup of cream and popped the soup in the fridge to chill.

I served the soup in tiny glasses, topped with finely chopped parsley, as it was one of the courses at our launch cocktail party. It would also look great in larger tumblers, or in martini glasses at a summer dinner party. (And it can be served hot, too!) Thanks Mrs Fulton, and thanks for the great tip Mum!