Rainy Day Wines
It’s been raining, on and off, for a couple of days, and for some reason rain and soup just seem to go together. They had some nice leeks at the store so I decided to make leek & potato soup. It’s pretty simple to make and goes perfectly with European style chardonnays. With a rotisserie chicken and some crusty bread, we had a great meal while watching the rain. (The soup recipe is after the fold.)
Two wines that go well with the meal:
Louis Latour 2008 Pouilly Fuissé
Light golden color with a touch of green. Aromas of peach and apricot. Flavors of pear, lemon and green apple with slight minerality. The balance is good with a smooth, satisfying finish. Drink now or hold a few years. Excellent value. Costco has it for $16
Laetitia Estate Chardonnay 2007
This wine was chosen by the Wall Street Journal as one of their 12 best wine buys of 2009.
Golden yellow color. Aromas of lime and orange with hints of pineapple and cantaloupe. Flavors of pear, pineapple and lemon with the slightest hints of oak and melon. Buttery texture, good balance. Smooth medium finish. Another great value. Wine House on Cotner Ave. in west LA has it for $11
Leak & Potato Soup Recipe:
Leek & Potato Soup
Ingredients:
• ½ lb leeks
• 2-3 medium Russet (or other starchy) potatoes
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 qt chicken broth – canned or homemade
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Ground white pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Cut white part of leeks into half inch slices
Peel the potatoes and cut them into pieces about the same size as the leeks.
In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat the butter over a low-to-medium heat.
Add the onion, garlic and leeks and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
Add the wine and cook for another minute or two or until the wine seems to have reduced by about half.
Add the broth and the potatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft enough that they can easily be pierced with a knife. Don’t let them get mushy, though.
Remove from heat and purée in a blender, working in batches, using pulse mode. Note: Make sure lid is on blender and don’t fill with more than 1/3 with hot liquid.
Pour puréed soup into another pot and bring to a simmer again, adding more broth or stock to adjust the thickness if necessary.
Season to taste with Kosher salt and white pepper.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Tags: California, chardonnay, france, value
