POTAGE DUBARRY
A classic French soup. With its creamy white appearance, it deceives with a richness that matches its backstory. 
Potage Dubarry (Cauliflower and potato creamy Soup) is a French classic. With its creamy white appearance, it deceives with a richness that matches its backstory (more on that later). I love the elegance of this soup and kept it clean by incorporating white peppercorns. I used fresh white peppercorns (Penja peppercorns from Cameroon that I had in the pantry) and ground them myself. Of course this isn’t necessary, but quality touches like these do make a difference to the taste.
So, back to the tale. Legend has it that this creamy concoction was whipped up for Madame du Barry, a favorite mistress of King Louis XV. Madame du Barry was a renowned beauty, with blond curls, blue eyes, a love for luxury—and a knack for captivating aristocratic men. And she loved cauliflower which unintentionally spurred this culinary legacy. Now, any dish with the moniker 'Du Barry' in French cuisine refers to a dish featuring cauliflower—from a straightforward salad to this classy soup, a star on winter menus in Parisian eateries..
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
200 g (7.05 oz) white potatoes (variety suited for mash)
4 tbsp milk
500 g (17.64 oz) fresh cauliflower
600 ml (about 2.5 cups) white chicken stock (you can also use a mix of stock and milk if your stock is too dark in color)
150 ml (5.07 oz) double cream (heavy whipping cream)
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Method
Peel and quarter the potatoes, then add them to a saucepan filled with cold water and a teaspoon of coarse salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Once cooked, drain and return the potatoes to the saucepan. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk and mash them with a fork. Set aside when ready.
To cook the cauliflower, fill another saucepan with water, add a tablespoon of coarse salt, and bring it to a boil. Submerge the cauliflower and cook for 18 minutes. Once ready, drain the water and return the cauliflower to the saucepan.
For the potage, bring 500 ml of the stock to a quick boil in a saucepan. When ready, immediately pour it over the cauliflower and use a stick blender to process the mixture. Add the remaining 100 ml of stock and 150 grams of the potato puree. Process again until smooth.
Pass the mixture through a sieve into a clean saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Taste the potage, adjust the seasoning with salt, then add the cream and mix well. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the potage, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
When the soup is hot enough, stir in the white pepper. To serve, divide into soup bowls and garnish with parsley and a few pan-fried croutons. You can also decorate the potage with a sprinkle of parboiled small cauliflower florets for added texture.