Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Baked Potato Soup

See the Recipe Below
Photo Credit
      
    Ingredients
    8 TBLS (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
    1 medium onion, diced
    1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    4 cups chicken stock
    1/2 tsp black pepper
    1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
    Kosher salt, to taste
    1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
    2 medium size baking potatoes
    1/2 tsp vegetable oil
    4 pieces of bacon, folded in half and cut into strips
    chives, to taste
    1 cup aged sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
     
    Instructions
    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
    • Scrub your potatoes, then dry thoroughly. Pierce each potato several times with a fork.
    • Using your hands, lightly coat the potatoes with 1/2 tsp vegetable oil.
    • Sprinkle each potato with Kosher salt.
    • Place the potatoes directly on a rack in the oven. Don’t wrap them in foil! You want the crispy skin with great baked flavor!
    • Bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
    • When the potatoes are nearly done baking, start your soup base. Do this all in one pot, it makes clean-up much easier!
    • At the bottom of a medium stock pot, fry your bacon strips in 1 TBLS butter. When the bacon pieces are crisp, remove them from the pan and let them drain on a paper towel lined plate. Without removing any of the bacon fat, add the rest of the butter and the diced onion. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the onion is soft, about 6-8 minutes.
    • Add the flour and continue to cook, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. The roux will get very thick. Be careful not to let it get brown.
    • Slowly pour in two cups of the chicken broth. Use a spatula to scrape up all the little brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the broth and bring the mix to a boil, stirring often.
    • Chop the baked potatoes (with the skins still on!) into bite-sized pieces and add them to the soup. Let the soup simmer gently for 8-10 minutes.
    • Add the pepper and red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Slowly add the heavy cream. I think the soup is better without it, but by all means, use it if you want your soup to be extra creamy!
    • Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with bacon, chives and cheese. Serve immediately!
     

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