Smoked Scallop Vichyssoise with Bacon

• 3/4 cup cubed bulk bacon plus 1/4 cup of crispy cooked bacon pieces reserved for garnish
• 8 sm. leeks, 4 md. leeks,
• 3 lg. leeks, whites only, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed into a paste
• 4 md. potatoes quartered
• 8 cups chicken stock
• broth
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 1 dash nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 fresh green onions
• chives, finely chopped
• 1/4 lb. smoked bay scallops (optional but damn good; can substitute smoked salmon
• trout)

1. In a large pot over a medium heat add in the bacon and cook till browned and the fat has been rendered, add the leeks and garlic pasted and sweat for 5 minutes, making sure that they do not take on any color.
2. Add the potatoes and cook for a minute or two, stirring a few times.
3. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer.
5. Cook on low heat, gently simmering, for 35 minutes, or until the leeks and potatoes are very soft.
6. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
7. Okay, the next part is tricky.
8. Slowly, and in small batches, puree the soup at high speed in the blender.
9. Do this bit by bit, never filling the blender over halfway up.
10. When everything is blended, return the soup to the cooking pot and whisk in the butter and nutmeg.
11. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
13. You can thin out the soup with a little additional stock at this point, if needed.
14. To serve, bring the soup to either room temperature or a slightly warm temperature, not hot (the flavor gets lost if the soup is hot), sprinkle with the crisp bacon pieces, the green onion, and the smoked scallops and serve.

bacon, leeks, leeks, garlic, potatoes, chicken stock, broth, butter, nutmeg, salt, green onions, chives, substitute smoked salmon, trout

Taken from www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/20614 (may not work)