Potato and Watercress Soup with Crisp Potato Pancakes and Smoked Salmon

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pound Yellow Finn potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 teaspoon chopped marjoram
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 bunches fresh watercress, well rinsed, tough stems removed, and roughly chopped
• Potato Pancakes, recipe follows
• 1/4 pound smoked salmon
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 ounce salmon caviar
• 1 pound baking potatoes, like russets, peeled
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
4. Add the potatoes, marjoram, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
5. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
7. Add the watercress and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
8. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor or blender.
9. Add the cream and return to medium heat.
10. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, adding more cream, if a thinner soup is desired.
11. Adjust seasoning, to taste.
12. Drape each potato pancake wedge with a slice of smoked salmon, topped with 2 teaspoons of sour cream, and 1/2 teaspoon of salmon caviar.
13. Serve with soup.
14. Grate the potatoes and squeeze between towels to dry.
15. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
16. Toss the potatoes lightly with salt and pepper and add in batches to the skillet, pressing down with a spatula to form a cake.
17. As the potato cake starts to crust on the bottom, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until brown and crusty on the bottom, about 7 to 10 minutes.
18. Flip the potato cake and add the remaining oil to the pan.
19. Cook until the cake is brown on the second side and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
20. Remove from the pan and cut into 6 wedges.
21. Yield: 6 servings

unsalted butter, yellow onions, garlic, potatoes, marjoram, salt, ground black pepper, chicken, heavy cream, fresh watercress, follows, salmon, sour cream, salmon, baking potatoes, vegetable oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/potato-and-watercress-soup-with-crisp-potato-pancakes-and-smoked-salmon-recipe.html (may not work)