French🍞 Bread & bakery

Vichyssoise with Melba Toast

Name: Vichyssoise with Melba Toast
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: ~2-3 lb Chicken bones (backs, wings, feet, necks); ~1 cup White wine; ~3-4 stalks Celery stalks; ~3 medium Onions; ~4-5 cloves Garlic; ~2-3 medium Carrots; ~1-2 medium Turnips; ~4-5 medium Leeks; ~1 tbsp Herbs; ~1½ lb Potatoes; ~3-4 tbsp Butter; ~1 tsp Gray salt; ~1 cup Sour cream or heavy cream; ~2 tbsp Olive oil; ~1 loaf French sandwich bread (pain de mie); ~½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano; ~1 small Black truffle

This elegant appetizer soup was created by Louis Diat in 1917 at the Hotel Ritz-Carlton. A classic French soup made with white chicken stock, fresh leeks, and potatoes, finished with cream and a drizzle of olive oil. Topped with crispy Melba toast and garnished with Parmigiano-Reggiano and black truffle for a refined presentation.

Adapted from a video by Bruno Albouze

Vichyssoise, Melba Toast – Bruno Albouze

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Chicken bones (backs, wings, feet, necks)~2-3 lbest.
White wine~1 cupest.
Celery stalks~3-4 stalksest.
Onions~3 mediumest.
Garlic~4-5 clovesest.
Carrots~2-3 mediumest.
Turnips~1-2 mediumest.
LeeksUse light green stems for soup; save dark green parts for stock~4-5 mediumest.
Herbs~1 tbspest.
Potatoes~1½ lbest.

Steps

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1
Prepare the chicken stock: crack all the chicken bones to release collagen. Place celery, onions, garlic, carrots, turnips, dark green leek parts, and herbs in a pot with the cracked bones. Add white wine for acidity to help extract collagen from the connective tissue.
2
Clean the leeks: trim the root end and remove outer leaves. Cut off the dark green leaf tips. Make a cut at the intersection of the light green stem and dark leaves. Soak leeks in warm water multiple times until the water runs clear, then drain.
3
Begin the vichyssoise: peel and cut potatoes into chunks. Melt butter in a large saucepan and add the light green leek stems. Sweat the leeks for 7 minutes without allowing them to brown.
4
Add gray salt, potatoes, and chicken stock. Cover and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let rest for 10 minutes.
5
Blend using a high-powered blender: transfer the soup to the blender, but reserve about 30% of the liquid. Adjust with more liquid if needed based on consistency. Put the lid on with the center cap open and place a folded kitchen towel on top to allow steam to escape.
6
Strain the blended soup through a fine sieve for better mouthfeel. The soup can be served hot or chilled.
7
Make Melba toast: cut discs from French sandwich bread and transform them into thin toast. Brush both sides with melted butter, sandwich between parchment paper and baking trays, then toast in the oven until crispy.
8
Transfer Melba toast to a cutting board and grate Parmigiano-Reggiano and black truffle (or black truffle-infused oil) over it for garnish.
9
Pour the soup into bowls and serve hot or chilled. Top with Melba toast and cheese-truffle garnish.

Vichyssoise with Melba Toast

Ingredients

Steps

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