Raymond Blanc - My Kitchen Table: 100 Recipes for Entertaining

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A small tribute to Maman Blanc, and I should say to Papa Blanc, too, as most of the vegetables would come from his garden. The success of this soup depends upon the freshness and quality of the vegetables used.

Serves 46

for the soup

15g (oz) unsalted butter

1 onion, cut into 3mm (in) dice

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 large carrots, cut into slices 3mm (in) thick

3 celery sticks, cut into slices 5mm (in) thick

2 leeks, 2 outer layers removed, cut into slices 1cm (in) thick

1 large courgette, halved lengthways and cut into slices 5mm (in) thick

2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 litre (1 pints) boiling water

a large handful of fresh chervil, roughly chopped

to finish

1 tbsp crme frache or 15g (oz) unsalted butter

Step one On a medium heat, in a large pan, melt the butter and then add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and leeks. Soften the vegetables for 5 minutes, without letting them colour (this helps to extract maximum flavour). Season with 8 pinches of sea salt and 2 pinches of white pepper.

Step two Add the courgette, tomatoes and boiling water (using boiling water reduces the cooking time and also helps to keep the colours bright). Boil fast for 57 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender. Stir in the chopped chervil.

Step three Whisk in the crme frache or butter (or both, if you wish!). Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then serve. This soup can be pured in a blender if you prefer a smooth texture.

The humble onion is very much part of the French culinary anthology. It was probably also responsible for the second invasion of England by the French. I still remember, when I first came to England, seeing Frenchmen riding very drunkenly on bicycles, loaded with magnificent entwined onions. The guality of the onions is crucial in this recipe. We want both high acidity and high sugar levels to create a fully flavoured soup. The best onions are Pink Roscoff; Spanish onions, although lacking in acidity will also work. If you like a strong onion flavour, caramelise the onions for a further 15 minutes, until very dark brown.

Serves 4

50g (2oz) unsalted butter, diced

4 medium Pink Roscoff or Spanish onions, cut in half and then sliced 3mm (1in) thick

1 heaped tbsp plain flour

200ml (7fl oz) dry white wine, boiled for 30 seconds to remove the alcohol

1.5 litres (2 pints) boiling water

1 tsp sugar (optional)

to serve

12 x 1cm (in) thick slices of baguette, for crotons

150g (5oz) Gruyre, grated

Step one Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. On a high heat, in a large non-stick pan, melt the butter without letting it brown. Add the onions and soften for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with 10 pinches of sea salt and 2 pinches of black pepper, then continue cooking the onions for 2030 minutes to achieve an even, rich brown caramel colour. Stir every 23 minutes to prevent burning.

Step two Sprinkle the flour onto a baking sheet and bake it for 810 minutes, until it is very lightly coloured. Stir the flour into the caramelised onions and mix thoroughly.

Step three Gradually stir in the white wine and one-third of the boiling water. Whisk well and add the remaining water. Bring to the boil, skim off any impurities from the surface and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding the sugar if required.

Step four To make the crotons, preheat the grill to hot. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle two-thirds of the grated Gruyre over them. Place under the grill for 34 minutes to melt and slightly brown the cheese. Serve the soup in bowls, with the crotons on top. Serve the remaining Gruyre separately.

In my native Franche-Comt, the pig is as celebrated as a demi-god. This soup is a simple and delicious way to enjoy it. Butterbeans are quite large and well textured. I like them very much in this soup but you could mix in other varieties such as broad, cannelloni, borlotti, haricot or flageolet. The soup needs an hour to cook, so the heat must be gentle. If it is too strong, the beans will break up and release too much starch and the bacon will shrivel and harden.