Celebrity chef

Tom Norrington-Davies

Tom is a cook and a writer who was involved with the groundbreaking London gastro-pub ‘The Eagle’. Tom contributed to the book Big Flavours & Rough Edges and penned Just Like My Mother Used To Make and Cupboard Love. He writes for delicious. and regularly writes for national publications, including The Guardian.

Serves 4

Asparagus Vichyssoise recipe

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Ready in about 1 hour

400ml milk
2 medium leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
Trimmings and bases of a bunch of asparagus, roughly chopped (about 200g)
2 medium floury potatoes, peeled and diced
1 level tsp salt
Crème fraîche and olive oil (optional)

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1. Heat half the milk in a pan big enough for the soup (about 2.5 litres). When it looks like it might boil, add the leek and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus trimmings and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and the salt and stir thoroughly. (Don’t worry if the milk looks like it has curdled or even reduced too much.) Stir the potatoes for about 5 minutes before covering with 500ml water. Simmer gently until the potatoes are tender – about 30 minutes.
2. Add the remaining milk. Now blend the soup and pass it through a sieve to remove any stringy bits from the asparagus trimmings. The soup will seem very thick so let it down with a little more water if you wish. Check the seasoning. The soup will benefit from a dollop of crème fraîche or a drizzle of olive oil. I like it just as it is, pale and interesting!

Chef's tip

I’m not prone to adulterating names like Vichyssoise. Some dishes are ‘just so’; they don’t need tampering and shouldn’t be messed with – I once saw a dessert menu with banana-misu on it. Say no more! Anyway, this isn’t a true vichyssoise but it carries enough of the original ingredients to warrant the name. This dish is very economical, despite the fact that it tastes downright expensive. All you need are the woody, stemmy bits at the bottom of the asparagus, so cook one of the previous recipes and keep your trimmings for this one. Another thing: I’m not a dietician but with a fat content no higher than that of milk (and you can used semi-skimmed), this tastes creamy, despite being one smug, healthy bowl of soup.

Wine Recommendation

Pick a light, dry, young rosé – always a great springtime wine.

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