L is for Leek Singing Soup

 

Emperor Nero avoided apples and consumed a lot of leeks. He had aspirations to be the Pavarotti of his time and felt that leeks made his voice more mellifluous. Because of this, he earned the nickname Leek Eater or ‘Porrophagus’.
Freddie also takes his singing voice very seriously, particularly when it comes to tuneless football chants. So we made some Leek and Potato Singing Soup, boosted with roasted garlic.
Leek and Potato Singing Soup
Serves 4
450g leeks
350g potatoes
900ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 roasted garlic bulb
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp of half-fat crème-fraiche
Salt and pepper to season
Handful of chopped chives to decorate

Wash the leeks and chop them finely. Peel the potatoes and dice them into small cubes. Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the leeks for three minutes on a medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook with the leeks for another 5 minutes, stirring them to stop them burning. Squeeze out all the soft garlic from the roasted bulb and stir in. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. As soon as it reaches boiling point, turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the crème fraiche and puree in a blender. Serve with a little chopped chive and season if needed with salt and pepper.

Roasting garlic is so easy - just put a bulb of garlic in a small square of foil, drizzle on a little bit of olive oil. Roast in the oven alongside the rest of your cooking for 45 minutes. Squeeze out the soft garlic from each clove and add to recipes.