A Rusty Parrot Chef Recipe: Potato Garleek Soup

There’s nothing quite like simple, seasonal ingredients prepared with care. This version of a classic potato soup introduces a new hybrid ingredient from Row 7 Seed Company: garleek, a delicious cross between garlic and leek with a beautifully mellow garlic and sweet leek flavor. If you can’t get your hands on garleek, don’t worry—a mix of leeks and a touch of minced garlic will do nicely.

As always, ingredients are everything. A good butter, the right potatoes (Yukon Golds are perfect for their creamy texture) and locally-sourced herbs and vegetables where possible make all the difference. We are lucky in this region to have access to excellent potato producers and dairy farms, which help make this soup extra delicious. Top with a drizzle of dill oil for some freshness, and you have a dish you’ll be coming back to all winter long.

Ingredients

For the dill oil:

• 2 cups fresh dill fronds (reserve a few for garnish)
• 1 cup parsley leaves
• 1 cup grapeseed oil
• Pinch of salt

For the soup:

• 200 g (about 7 tablespoons) cubed butter
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 400 g Row 7 Seed’s garleek (or two medium leeks and two cloves of garlic)
• 400 g Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced and submerged in cold water
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 cup good heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Bring a small pot of water to boil
2. While the water boils, thinly slice the potatoes and place them in a bowl of cold water. In a separate bowl, prepare an ice bath.
3. Slice the whites of the garleek as thinly as possible and reserve the green parts. If using leek and garlic, prepare the leek the same way and mince the garlic cloves.
4. In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the whole peppercorns until fragrant.

Make the dill oil:

1. In the pot of boiling water, blanch the dill fronds and parsley for a few seconds. Remove from the pot and place immediately in the ice bath. Strain the herbs and squeeze out excess water.
2. In a high-speed blender, combine the blanched herbs, grapeseed oil, and a pinch of salt. Blend for about 2 minutes, until the oil turns a deep, uniform green and is slightly warm to the touch (the warmth helps release chlorophyll and intensify color).
3. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then strain into a container through a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Don’t press; allow the oil to drip by gravity. (Ideally, this step is done overnight. You can also set the oil aside as you prepare the soup.)

Make the soup:

1. In a large pot, combine the green parts of the garleek or leek, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and toasted peppercorns. Add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the aromatics and reserve the broth in a separate container.
2. In the same pot, now empty, add the olive oil and half the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the whites of the garleek (or whites of the leek and garlic, if using). Sweat gently until the whites are translucent, adding a bit of salt to taste. Add the rest of the butter slowly over the course of 30-60 minutes, stirring regularly, until the whites of the garleek or leek are completely translucent and soft.
3. Drain the sliced potatoes from their cold bath. Add them to the garleek pot and pour in the reserved broth until it covers the potatoes by about 1 cm.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fully tender.
   Pass the mixture through a food mill to retain some texture and keep the potato tender. Return the milled soup to the pot. (If you don’t have a food mill, you may use a stand blender or immersion blender. Use caution; overblending will result in a gummy soup. Blend just enough to retain some texture and keep the potato tender.)
5. Add heavy cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. To plate, ladle soup into a pre-warmed bowl and drizzle the dill oil on top. Place a few dill fronds as a garnish. Serve immediately with warm grilled bread.

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