Purée de Choux-fleurs, otherwise Dubarry

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 3-quart saucepan
• •Sturdy fine-mesh sieve
• •Flexible spatula or small ladle
• •Broad skillet for the croûtons

Instructions

1. 1

   Parboil the cauliflower

   Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a full boil. Add the cauliflower bunches and parboil for 4 to 5 minutes, until their raw smell has softened and the smallest stems yield to the point of a knife without collapsing. Keep the water boiling freely so the cauliflower remains white. Drain thoroughly, then reserve 12 of the smallest, neatest florets for the garnish. Let everything stand in the colander for 5 minutes; water clinging to the vegetable would dilute the milk.

   The parboil is not dispensable. It tempers cauliflower's sharper aroma before the milk goes in and helps preserve the clean, pale character that defines Dubarry.
2. 2

   Boil the milk

   Put all the milk in a clean saucepan and warm it over medium heat, stirring across the bottom frequently. Bring it only to the first rise, when small bubbles gather around the edge and the surface begins to lift, then lower the heat immediately. Measure 2 cups (480 ml) of the boiled milk into a wide, heavy saucepan and keep the remainder covered and warm. This replaces the brigade's pot of boiled milk waiting beside the stove.

3. 3

   Simmer without colour

   Add the drained cauliflower, except the garnish florets, and the diced potatoes to the 2 cups of hot milk. Cover partially and hold the mixture at the barest tremble for 22 to 28 minutes, stirring gently every few minutes, until both vegetables crush without resistance against the side of the pan. The milk need not cover them completely, but it must never boil hard. If it catches, don't scrape the bottom. Ça se rattrape: pour the unburned contents into a clean saucepan, leaving the scorched layer behind, then continue over lower heat.

4. 4

   Fry the croûtons

   While the vegetables simmer, melt the frying butter in a broad skillet over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the bread dice in one layer and turn them patiently for 6 to 8 minutes, until every face is butter-gold and the centres are crisp. If the edges darken before the bread dries, lower the heat and keep turning. Lift the croûtons onto a plate and leave them uncovered so they stay crisp.

5. 5

   Pass through the sieve

   Set a sturdy fine-mesh sieve over a clean saucepan. Working in batches, spoon in the cauliflower, potato, and cooking milk, then press everything through with a flexible spatula or the back of a ladle. Scrape the smooth purée from the underside of the sieve and discard only the dry fibres left behind. This is the home equivalent of the tammy, and it preserves the potato's silken body. A prolonged beating in a blender can turn the potato gluey, so the sieve is one piece of the old method worth keeping.

6. 6

   Set the consistency

   Place the sieved purée over low heat and whisk in the reserved hot milk one cup at a time. Stop when the soup flows readily from the ladle while leaving a light, even coat on its bowl, using up to the full 5 cups of milk to bring the yield close to 2 quarts. If it is too thick, add another splash of hot milk. If it is too thin, simmer it uncovered for a few minutes, stirring across the bottom. Don't add flour; the potatoes are the appointed thickening.

7. 7

   Skim and add butter

   Bring the soup back to the gentlest simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Dépouiller, skim the pale froth from the surface, until the soup looks clean and satiny, then remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the cold finishing butter a few cubes at a time until it disappears into a soft gloss, and season carefully with salt. If yellow beads of butter float on top, the soup was too hot. Lift it well away from the heat and whisk in a tablespoon of cold milk until the emulsion returns. Ça se rattrape.

8. 8

   Garnish and serve

   Warm the reserved cauliflower florets in a ladleful of soup for 1 minute. Pour the Dubarry into warmed bowls or a soupière, arrange the white florets where they remain visible, and add the butter-fried croûtons only as the soup reaches the table. Keep extra croûtons alongside for the second helping. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a firm cauliflower with close, creamy-white florets and fresh leaves. This soup shows every bruise and tired edge, so vegetables past their best belong in a more forgiving pot.
• •Use a floury potato and cut it small. Its starch is the thickening promised by the source, but aggressive blending can make that same starch elastic; press through the sieve and the texture stays smooth.
• •Whole milk and real butter give Dubarry its body. Cream would turn this specific purée into a different member of the family, while stock would cover the clean cauliflower flavour. We don't apologize for butter.
• •Taste after the butter goes in. The soup should taste first of cauliflower, then milk and butter, with enough salt to make those flavours distinct but no spice competing with them.

Advance Preparation

• •The soup can be prepared through the sieving step one day ahead. Cool it promptly, cover, and refrigerate, then reheat gently with the finishing milk before skimming and whisking in the butter.
• •A finished Dubarry keeps for up to three days under refrigeration. Reheat it over low heat without boiling, loosening the chilled soup with a little milk if the potato has tightened it.
• •The croûtons can be fried one day ahead and held at room temperature in an airtight container once completely cool. Keep them separate from the soup until serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)