Ingredients

• 25g/1oz butter
• 5 rashers fatty
• smoked streaky bacon
• 1 large onion
• chopped
• 500g/1lb 2oz floury potatoes
• peeled
• cut into small pieces
• 750ml/1â…“pt light chicken stock
• salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 4-5 tbsp soured cream
• 1-2 tbsp snipped fresh chives

Directions

• Melt the butter in a lidded saucepan and fry the bacon until golden-brown. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Fry the onion in the remaining fat until soft. Rinse the potatoes under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain the potatoes. Pour the stock into the pan
• and then add the potatoes
• salt and freshly ground white pepper and bay leaf.
• Bring up to a gentle simmer
• skimming off any scum that forms on the surface
• and add the bacon. Cover with a lid and simmer for 25-30 minutes
• or until the potatoes begin to break up. Remove the bay leaf and bacon (you can crisp the bacon up for a sandwich if you like).
• Pass the mixture through a vegetable mill using the finest mesh disk into a clean pan. You can also blend the soup in a food processor - though I find this method produce too smooth a result.
• Gently reheat and ladle into hot bowls. Serve with a good dollop of soured cream and sprinkle with plenty of chives.