Lamb, Leek and Potato soup
I wasn’t going to do a post today (finding daily posting, endless cooking, desperate networking in attempt to get paid work AND looking after the kids rather tiring at the moment, sure you all know the feeling) but it is Fathers’ Day and as my father was born in Wales I am putting up a recipe for Welsh lamb, leeks (very Welsh) and potato soup. Not, if you heard him speak, that you would ever guess he is a Welshman by birth.
More importantly, I also want to acknowledge the fact that it was via my father’s line that I inherited the cooking gene. He was the one who cooked us Sunday roast throughout my childhood (my absolute favourite meal of the week) and to this day cooks Christmas lunch. He is also a scrupulous user-up of leftovers.
Quite why he was so altruistic on his day of rest becomes clear when I tell you that my mother is Dutch and will admit herself that cooking is sometimes a chore rather than a pleasure. Not that she ever shirked her duty – and now I am a mother who has to cook a meal day in day out myself, I know how she felt – but we ate rather a lot of potatoes growing up, so aptly the third ingredient in today’s recipe is potato; my mother LOVES potatoes. Even more appropriately it is not only potato but cold left-over potato, a semi-permanent occupant of our family fridge.
Actually, I suspect my father wanted to re-create the roast lunch of his childhood that my grandmother (an excellent cook) had always excelled at, and didn’t quite trust a European to pull it off. And he is a stickler for tradition – the discussions we have over Christmas lunch . . . timings, variations on bird, presents before or after the Queen’s speech, you get the picture. Ok, I admit I have inherited a little of this not-wanting-to-change along with a love of the perfect Sunday roast.
And the trait didn’t start with my father. Apparently I take after my grandmother, who sadly died when I was very young, in my obsession with home-cooking and clearly the gene for relentless food preparation (i.e. starting on supper almost as soon as lunch is finished) has found a happy home in me.
So here we have it: leftover roast lamb, new potatoes rescued from the fridge and a large leek; a pot of stock and some herbs from the garden and you have a green and fresh soup, frugal yet satisfying; a great use of leftovers. I hope the generations that preceded me would be proud.
Lamb, Leek and Potato soup
350g leftover roast lamb, chopped into bite-sized chunks.
A bowl of leftover potatoes, chopped.
1 large leek
1 clove garlic
500 ml chicken stock
Splash of white wine or vermouth
50g butter
Salt and pepper
Chives or parsley to garnish.
Clean the leek well and slice the white part and a little of the green finely. Let the leeks completely soften, but not brown, in the melted butter with some salt and pepper. This will take around 15 minutes.
Once the leek is soft, stir in the potatoes and let them absorb some flavour.
Add the lamb and allow to cook a few minutes.
Turn up the heat and add the wine/vermouth, bubble down.
Add the stock and cook for 5-10 minutes.
Add the herbs, adjust seasoning and serve.
Recipe Card
