Potato, Onion, and Roquefort Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup light cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup crumbled Roquefort, or other creamy blue cheese
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons Tawny Port
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• Blue Cheese and Walnut Crumpets, recipe follows

Directions

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until just beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, cayenne, and bay leaf, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor, until smooth. Add the light and heavy creams, and stir well to blend. Gently reheat and barely simmer, being careful not to boil. Add 3/4 cup of the cheese, the thyme, and Port, and whisk until the cheese is just melted. Adjust the seasonings, to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls, and top each with some of the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and the crumbled bacon. Serve immediately with the Blue Cheese and Walnut Crumpets.

Blue Cheese and Walnut Crumpets:

• 5 ounces Roquefort or other creamy blue cheese, crumbled
• 5 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 4 teaspoons Tawny Port
• 7 teaspoons chopped walnuts
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 crumpets or English muffins, split
• 16 walnut halves

In a bowl, cream together the cheese and butter. Add the Port, walnuts, and salt, and mix until creamy.

Lightly toast each crumpet or muffin half. Spread about 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture onto each of the 16 crumpet or muffin halves and top each with half a walnut. Toast until just bubbling. Serve immediately with the Potato, Onion, and Roquefort Soup.