Perhaps it isn't so strange that my creation that has gained the greatest reputation is made with potatoes, even though I have originated dozens of others that 1 would have expected to strike a more responsive chord. But vichyssoise secins to grow in popularity as each succeeding summer's heat parches American throats. This story goes back, too, to my childhood and to the same potato and leek soup we ate daily for breakfast.
In summer when it was so hot, we children would balk at eating hot soup. But fortunately at breakfast time, la laitière, the woman who delivered milk to us, would arrive with the big wooden yolk on her shoulder, at either end of which hung a pail of milk, and my mother would entice us into eating our soup by pouring some of the cold, rich top milk into our soup bowls. This cooled the soup, of course, but 1 think that the novelty of eating “cold” soup was what appealed to us.
Years later, in 1917 when the Ritz-Carlton Roof Garden was le dernier cri in smart dining—a long jump both in time and distance from my boyhood home in Montmarault—I was probing my mind for unusual dishes to serve at what was then a novel hotel restaurant. Cold jellied soups were just beginning to be accepted, and suddenly 1 thought of the cold potato and leek soup of my childhood. 1 made it up, straining the puree twice to make it extra smooth, using heavy cream for added richness.
The soup tasted delicious, but it seemed to need a little flourish to set it off. So 1 sprinkled finely chopped chives over the surface, and they not only complemented the leek and potato flavors of the soup perfectly, but also added fresh green color to the creamy white soup.
Then the question was what to call it. Since no one had ever heard of my Montmarault, but most of our guests had visited Vichy, then one of Europe's famous watering places. I called it crème vicbyssoise glacée, meaning a cold pureed soup, rich with cream and named for Vichy's housewives.
Crème Vichyssoise Glacée
Clean and cut away the green part of 4 leeks and slice very finely the white part. Slice I medium-sized onion and cook the vegetables in 2 tablespoons butter until they just begin to turn golden. Add 5 medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced, 1 quart chicken broth or water, or a combination of both, and 1 tablespoon salt. Boil for 35 or 40 minutes. Rub the liquid through a fine sieve, return it to the fire, and add 2 clips milk and 2 cups medium cream. Season to taste and bring to a boil. Cool and rub the mixture through a very fine sieve. When it is cold, add 1 cup heavy cream. Chill thoroughly and serve sprinkled with finely chopped chives. This will serve eight.
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