TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Crème DubarryFrench Cream of Cauliflower Soup
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
- Serves
- 8 servings
- Prep 20 min
- Cook 50 min
A white cream soup: cauliflower is simmered until soft in a light béchamel, puréed and strained, then finished with cream without egg yolks. Garnish with reserved small florets and chervil tips.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (8 servings)
100Authenticity- White cauliflower600 gTrimmed floret weight. Reserve 60g in very small florets for the garnish.
- Water2000 mlFor blanching; do not add salt.
- Unsalted butter90 g40g to gently cook the cauliflower and 50g for the béchamel.
- Plain cake flour50 gFor the béchamel. Use plain soft-wheat cake flour without added starch or leavening.
- Whole milk1250 ml1L for the béchamel and 250ml to adjust consistency. Use whole milk.
- Heavy cream (at least 35% fat)350 mlFor finishing: 350ml for about 2L soup, or approximately 170ml per 1L.
- Fine salt10 gTaste and add up to 4g extra if needed.
- Ground white pepper0.5 g
- Fresh chervil5 gPick the tips and add just before serving.
Method
Divide the cauliflower and blanch in unsalted water
- 1 Divide the cauliflower into florets and reserve 60g in very small florets about 1.5cm across for the garnish.
- 2 Cut the remaining florets, about 540g, into even 2cm pieces.
- 3 Bring 2L water to a boil over high heat in a large pot. Add the garnish florets and boil for 4 minutes; lift out with a slotted spoon, transfer to cold water and drain.
- 4 Add the remaining florets to the same water, boil vigorously for 3 minutes and drain in a strainer.
Ready when
Continue when a skewer enters the garnish florets easily and the remaining florets are translucent on the outside but still firm at the center.
Tips
Blanching vigorously in unsalted water and discarding it reduces the cauliflower’s sulfurous smell.
Gently cook the blanched cauliflower in butter
- 1 Melt 40 g unsalted butter in a heavy pot over low heat and add the blanched soup florets (about 540 g). Keep the 60 g garnish florets aside.
- 2 Cover and cook gently over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ready when
Continue when the florets have softened without browning.
Caution
Browning prevents a white finish to the soup.
Make a light béchamel with white roux and milk
- 1 Melt 50g unsalted butter over low heat in a separate saucepan, add 50g cake flour and cook for 2 minutes without coloring.
- 2 Add 1L cold milk in 3 additions, whisking out the lumps each time.
- 3 Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring, then simmer over low heat for 3 minutes.
Ready when
Continue when the béchamel is white and smooth and thinly coats the back of a spoon.
Simmer the cauliflower in béchamel until very soft
- 1 Transfer the gently cooked cauliflower to the béchamel saucepan.
- 2 Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, occasionally scraping the bottom with a wooden spatula.
Ready when
Continue when the cauliflower crushes easily under the spatula.
Caution
If the bottom is not scraped, the béchamel may scorch and leave brown specks.
Purée, strain and adjust the consistency with milk
- 1 Use a blender rated for hot liquids; check the manufacturer’s fill limit and steam-venting instructions. Start blending at low speed.
- 2 Set a fine strainer over a separate empty pot. Divide the contents into 3 batches; blend 1 batch until smooth, pour it into the strainer and press through with a rubber spatula, then repeat. Use more batches if one-third would exceed the blender’s fill limit.
- 3 Stir in the remaining 250ml milk and warm over low heat.
- 4 Add 10g salt and 0.3g white pepper, taste and add up to 4g extra salt if needed.
Ready when
Continue when the soup has no particles and flows thickly from a ladle.
Caution
Steam can force hot contents out and cause burns; holding the lid down does not replace the manufacturer’s required steam venting.
Finish with cream, florets and chervil
- 1 Fill heatproof soup bowls with hot water to warm them. Add 350 ml cream to the soup and warm over low heat, stirring.
- 2 Add the garnish florets and warm for 1 minute.
- 3 Empty and dry the bowls, then pour in the soup. Arrange the small florets in the center and add the chervil tips.
Ready when
The soup is ready when steaming, white and smooth, with florets and chervil on the surface.
About this dish
Much of France’s cauliflower grows along Brittany’s northern coast. This winter crop is planted in summer and harvested from October to the following May. In 2017, the Breton producers’ cooperative stated that it accounted for 90% of French production.
The name Dubarry, used for cauliflower dishes, refers to Madame du Barry, Louis XV’s last official mistress. It is attributed to a custom of naming new dishes after royal mistresses. A story also credits her cook with creating it, but firm documentation has not been found.
By the early 20th century, both puréed cauliflower soups and cauliflower garnishes for beef fillet or tournedos were called Dubarry.
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