This is an excellent potato soup as you get the flavor of browned potato and boiled potato in the same soup. It is of my own devising
2 tablespoons fat/oil--I like 1 each of butter and bacon grease
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon dried crumbled rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
2 medium russet potatoes for grating
2 medium russet potatoes for cubing
chicken stock--up to a quart.
half & half or other preferred dairy--2-3 cups or to taste
salt and pepper
hot sauce
Heat the fat in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and sweat them a few minutes. Add the 3 herbs, a bit of salt and pepper and and sweat the onions a few more minutes. Add the garlic and stir through for about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of chicken stock. Peel and then grate two medium russet potatoes into the soup pot. Stir through to mix and add chicken stock to cover. Also add some salt to flavor the potatoes.
Raise the heat to medium high, bring to a boil and stir every few minutes scraping up from the bottom of the pan. A wooden flat bladed spatula is ideal as it won't scratch the pot but will clean off the bottom of the pot. The grated potato will stick to the bottom and brown between stirrings. When the potato mix boils, turn down the heat to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot every few minutes to cook the potatoes evenly. The mix will quickly become thick and gluey. Add chicken stock if it gets too dry, just enough to cover the solids.
Puree the contents of the pot with a hand blender or in batches in a food processor or blender. Return the contents to the pot. Add half and half to your desired soup consistency. Stir to mix and continue to stir, scraping up from the bottom of the pot every few minutes as before.
Peel and chop the remaining two russet potatoes and add to the soup. Adjust consistency with half and half if needed. Heat over medium heat watching it carefully. You want to avoid a boil as the dairy may curdle. A very low simmer is ideal. Cook until the cubed potatoes are done, about 25-30 minutes, stirring to scrape up from the bottom every few minutes as the pureed potato will continue to settle and brown on the bottom of the pot.
Add salt and pepper and a little hot sauce to taste. The broth will not be perfectly smooth but more homey in texture. When the potatoes are tender, correct seasoning and serve.
Good garnishes are grated cheese, even blue cheese, and crumbled bacon.
NOTES: The pureeing isn't absolutely necessary. The grated potato will mostly dissolve during the cooking time of the soup, but the puree does improve the texture overall.
