COMFORT ESSENTIALS: THE ULTIMATE POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• I love potato soup; in my opinion it is one of the quintessential cold weather comfort foods of all time. Well, maybe not of all time, but it is yummy stuff. About 3 years ago, I was in a London pub (The Ten Bells, I think), that is considered one of the most haunted pubs in the city. Ghosts aside, they make this brilliant potato soup. Problem was that the chef was not about to give away one of their signature recipes. So, I got a takeaway and went back to my hotel room to try to pick it apart. I identified a lot of the ingredients but knowing what is in a recipe and knowing the proportions is an entirely different matter. I finally managed to make a good recipe, but I wanted to add something to make it mine, and that is when I came up with making the potatoes with two cooking methods. Some of them are cooked with the soup (pretty traditional), the others are air fried. The end result gives you some comforting potatoes in the soup, plus crispy air fried taters. That gives you an additional layer of flavor, and two different mouth feels to keep you interested. Now, in my introduction I said that the final version of this soup was tasted at 2:34 am. So, how did I know? Well, you are going to love this... the last few weeks we have been having these quick earthquakes; they last only about a second, and they shake the whole dang place. So, as I was taking my first spoonful a quake hit, and when I checked with the USGS, they said the quake occurred at 2:34 in the morning. Here is the recipe link for the air fryer potatoes: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/potatoes/air-fryer-essentials-crispy-spicy-diced-potatoes.html
• Baked Garlic I love what baking does to garlic... it mellows the flavor and creates an awesome ingredient that enhances so many diverse dishes. I use it so much in catering that I usually bake 15 or more heads of garlic at a time, then save them for when needed. Here is the recipe that I use... it is easy/peasy: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/seasoning-mix/cooking-essentials-baked-garlic.html?r=4
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Add the bacon to a cold pot, then set the heat to medium.
• Let the bacon slowly cook until it has rendered its fat, and is nice and crispy, about 6 - 8 minutes.
• Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, and reserve.
• Add the grated onion and baked garlic to the pan with the bacon grease.
• Cook until the onions soften, and brown slightly, about 3 - 4 minutes.
• Add the butter and stir until melted.
• Add the chicken stock and hot sauce, then stir until combined.
• Add the cubed potatoes.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, covered until the potatoes begin to break down about 10 - 12 minutes.
• Notice, from the photo, how the potatoes are shedding their outer layer. This will help to thicken the soup without any flour. But do not cook too long or they will completely melt into the soup.
• Add the half & half and gently stir to combine.
• Add the two cheeses.
• Gently stir to melt them into the soup, and season with some salt, pepper.
• Add the sherry and nutmeg, if using.
• When adding the sherry do a bit at a time, then stop and taste.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Ladle into bowls, add the air-fried taters, and then sprinkle with some of the reserved bacon. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.