Bacon Potato Soup

Is there any better sight on a winters’ evening than a wood burning fire? The smoke gently fills the air as you sit down, relax and reflect on life or unwind from a challenging day.

If you are anything like me, your kitchen has gone full speed ahead into winter fare. Gone, for the most part, are the light salads of summer. Currently hearty soups, creamy stews and dairy certainly have a seasonal seat at my table. As any good chef will tell you, fat equals flavour; and I’m looking for full flavoured dishes this time of year.

Ingredients:

1½ cups diced potato (2 medium sized potatoes)

5 strips of bacon

1 tsp. all purpose flour

2 cups milk

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

• Pre boil diced potatoes for 15 min – strain
• Brown & crisp bacon in large pot – remove bacon strips & crumble
• Add flour to rendered bacon fat and cook until uniform in consistency and light brown in colour.
• Incorporate bacon, milk & potatoes to soup pot. Heat on medium-low and stir regularly.
• Add salt & pepper to taste, continue to cook and stir until desired consistency is reached.

Is there anything not to love about this cold weather comfort food? The saltiness and the smokiness of the bacon unites with the filling nature of the potato. The creamy richness of any dairy based stew calls to me in winter like a pool or sun soaked beach draws a crowd on those dog days of summer that seem so far away from us now. This dish may seem gourmet; and it is in flavour. The execution, by contrast, is childs’ play; chop, brown, pour and stir. Let your pallet be your guide to finalize the spices in this gorgeous bacon-infused bowl.