6 people
SOUP
Ina Garten Go-To Dinners (p. 84)
Yellow onion - 3
Gold potatoes - 1 1⁄2 lbs
Fennel - 2
Chicken stock - 32 oz
Pernod - 1 oz
Half-and-half - 8 oz
Unsalted butter - 1⁄14 stick
Onions - slice to 3 cups
Potatoes - peel and diced
Fennel - scrub, remove tops and core and slice thinly for 5 cups
Heat 3 tbl of olive and the butter in a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and onions and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown.
Add the potatoes, chicken stock, 1 tbl of kosher salt, and 1 tsp pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender.
In batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pot from the blender or food processor and stir in the Pernod and half-and-half, and taste for seasonings. Reheat over medium-low heat.
To serve, ladle into soup bowls and garnish with croutons, crumbled bacon, creamy goat cheese cubes or cooked pancetta.