Creamy White Soup

Ingredients

• 5 cups Chicken Stock (Use a good quality chicken stock for the best flavor.)
• 0.5 tablespoon Salt (Adjust to taste)
• 0.5 teaspoon Peppercorns (Whole peppercorns, crushed slightly)
• 1 slice Onion (About 1/4 inch thick)
• 1 stalk Celery (Cut into large pieces)
• 2 cups Milk (Whole milk recommended for richness)
• 3 tablespoons Butter (Unsalted butter)
• 4 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Egg Yolks (From large eggs)
• 0.25 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper (Freshly ground, to taste)

Instructions

1. 1In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock, salt, peppercorns, onion slice, and celery stalk. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
2. 2Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes to infuse the flavors. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids.
3. 3In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until a smooth paste (roux) forms. Be careful not to brown the roux.
4. 4Gradually whisk the strained stock into the roux, ensuring there are no lumps. Continue whisking until the soup thickens slightly. Bring to a gentle simmer.
5. 5In a separate saucepan, scald the milk. This means heating it until just before it boils (small bubbles will form around the edges).
6. 6Slowly pour the scalded milk into the thickened soup, stirring constantly. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Gradually whisk a ladleful of the hot soup into the egg yolks to temper them (this prevents curdling). Then, pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the soup, stirring constantly.
7. 7Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve one last time for an extra smooth texture. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
8. 8Serve the soup immediately while hot. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or a swirl of cream, if desired.