Pleasure and practicality are combined in Jacques Pépin's Kitchen: Encore with Claudine, from world-renowned chef and cooking teacher Jacques Pépin. This book, along with its prequel, Jacques Pépin's Kitchen: Cooking with Claudine, is a companion to the PBS series of the same name, but they each stand on their own.
While purple-topped turnips give this soup its distinctive taste, sweet potatoes are responsible for its beautiful orange color and creaminess. Earthy and elegant at the same time, it is the perfect beginning for almost any meal.
3/4 pound purple-topped turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 sweet potato (yellow or orange variety) (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 white potato (6 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups light chicken, beef, or pork stock, unsalted
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste, if desired
Leek Garnish:
1 small leek (about 4 ounces)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional to taste, if desired
1/2 cup light cream
Place the turnip, sweet potato, and white potato pieces in a pot with the stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook gently for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, prepare the leek garnish. Trim the leek to remove any damaged or fibrous outer leaves but retain most of the green top. Cut the leek crosswise into thirds, each chunk about 4 inches long. Then, cut each segment in half lengthwise, and separate the layers. Stack the layers together so they are flat, and cut them into very thin lengthwise strips (a julienne). You should have about 1-3/4 cups. Wash and drain the leek in a colander.
Place the leek strips in a saucepan with the butter and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the leek is tender. Set aside in any remaining cooking liquid.
When the vegetables in the soup are tender, process them in a food processor or with a handheld immersion blender until emulsified into a smooth-textured mixture. Add the pepper, cream, and the reserved leek julienne along with its liquid.
Bring the mixture back to a boil, adding additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired, and serve immediately.
