Potage Elisa

Potage Elisa (silken poultry soup with sorrel) teaches the discipline of finishing a bound soup without boiling it. The poultry foundation is mild and rich; the late spoonful of sorrel fondue supplies the tartness that brings it into focus. Know one thing before touching the pan: once the liaison enters, the heat must become gentle.

The original assumed a saucier on staff, finished poultry velouté and white consommé drawn from pots never off the fire, and a tammy for the final silken texture. A home kitchen has those foundations prepared ahead, one heavy saucepan, and a fine-mesh sieve. The salamander, useful elsewhere, has no work in this potage. The quantities here make a two-quart home batch for eight first courses while retaining the book's three-to-one base ratio and proportional finishes. The staffed station and cloth tammy are scaffolding; the velouté, liaison, finishing butter, and last-minute sorrel are the dish.

Temper the yolks slowly, mount the butter away from direct heat, and fold in the fondue only when the bowls are waiting. If the liaison catches, don't pour it out. Ça se rattrape, and the rescue sits exactly where you'll need it. The decisive step remains simple: after the yolks enter, never let the soup boil.