Watercress Velouté

• Fresh watercress bunches. Also fantastic in salads, tarts, pesto's and dressings...
  

Blanching Watercress

• Blanching is a simple yet effective technique that helps to retain the vibrant color of green vegetables. The process involves briefly immersing the vegetables in boiling water, followed by quick cooling in ice water. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, cut off rubber band from the watercress bunches. Pick through greens, remove the thickest part of the stems and wash thoroughly. Salt hot water generously and add watercress, bring back to boil and cook for a minute on full blast. Transfer greens to an ice bath with a slotted spoon, drain and set aside. Blanching watercress can be made a day ahead. Once blanched, watercress could also be kept frozen for later use.
  

Potato Mixture

• Peel potatoes and reserve whole in water. In a frying pan, add butter, onions, garlic, chopped potatoes and a bay leaf. Sweat 5 minutes on medium heat. No color needed. Season with salt and pepper and deglaze with white wine, reduce by half and cover potatoes with about half of the stock. Cook for 20 minutes until fork tender. Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf.
  

Blending Soup

• *A high speed blender has a very powerful motor that effortlessly blends fiber-rich and hard ingredients into a silky smooth liquid; a game changer. Place blanched watercress in the container blender. Remove the bay leaf and add potato mixture to it along with the remaining stock, parsley leaves and cold butter*. Mix until completely smooth.

  *Replace butter with neutral or olive oil if desired.
  
• Pass soup through a chinois with the help of a ladle. Add more seasoning if needed. This step remains optional but it does improve the final texture and mouthfeel of the soup drastically.
  

Crispy Dried Parsley

• Cover a plate with oven safe plastic wrap; stretch and tight it up all around the plate. Oil the surface of the plastic film and arrange cleaned parsley leaves. Top with another sheet of plastic film in contact. Microwave for 60 to 120 seconds until dried. Transfer crispy dried parsley to another plate.
  

Watercress Veloute Storage

• Watercress velouté can be made in larger batches and saved. Store soup in sealed containers and freeze for up to 4 months. Then a day or 2 prior to use, let soup thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat and blend again – add a dash of hot stock of water if needed – and serve.
  

Plating

• Reheat the soup in a saucepan. Place some crushed hazelnuts in the center of each plate and top with a quenelle or a scoop of ricotta. Garnish with crispy dried parsley and add a drizzle of EVOO. Watercress velouté could also be served cold in shot glass for amuse-bouche.

  Bon appétit!