Recipe: Cream of Cauliflower Soup (Veloute de Chor-Fleur)

Cream of Cauliflower Soup (Veloute de Chor-Fleur)

1 small head cauliflower
salt
1 large leek, white part only
fresh ground white pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 tbsp flour
1 cup croutons
3 1/2 cup boiling water

Blanch the cauliflower: break the head into flowerets and put them in a saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring it to the boiling point, cook for one minute, drain, and rinse the flowerets under cold running water.

Wash the leek, slice it into small rounds, and cook them in the butter until they are soft. Stir in the flour, cook for a few minutes until it is golden, and add the boiling water. Add the blanched cauliflower, season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Strain the soup through a food mill or puree it in a blender. Stir in the creame fraiche, correct the seasoning, and serve with croutons.

CREME FRAICHE: American heavy cream is considerably thinner than French heavy cream. Use 1 teaspoon of buttermilk for each cup of heavy cream. Heat in a saucepan until it is lukewarm (about 85 F), pour into a glass container, and allow it to stand at room temperature until it thickens.

In very hot weather it can thicken in as little as 6 hours; in cold weather it can take as long as 36 hours. This can be stored in the refrigerator for a least a week.

Servings: 6
Source: La cuisine;: Secrets of modern French cooking by Raymond Oliver