(Excerpts from Essays, Compliments of Seattle's Chef Congdon)

"Eventually, my Catholic upbringing, also known as guilt, finally took over.  It didn’t hurt that my parents insisted on knowing exactly what I was doing with my money and I was willing to tell them, in which I was then told how I was wasting it and didn’t know how to be responsible.  With this pressure, I finally found a job working at an upscale hotel restaurant,  Bacco. Located on Rue Royale, it was quite the posh destination for tourists and hotel guests to dine.

My first day on the job, not only was I expected to prepare the daily meal for all the employees of the restaurant, as a test to my skill, I was to also prepare roughly a hundred pounds of garlic bulbs that were to be roasted the following morning.  Before their appetizers were brought to the table, these succulent and buttery lagniappes were offered to every guest.

I lasted one day.

It’s a wonder that I had any inclination to work with garlic as extensively as I do.  I must admit that while I did hate the task at the time, it taught me how to make amazing roasted garlic.

I found the original idea for this soup in Soups by James McNair.  His recipe intrigued me, because the recipe consisted of garlic and water and that was about it so I decided to try it out.  After a few Michaelfications , I ended up creating the second best selling soup at the Hopvine.  For six months each year The Hopvine sells roughly 156 gallons of this soup to the enjoyment of customers and the annoyance of the cooks.

The first time I decided to add roasted garlic to the list of ingredients I was immediately reminded of Bacco, Brenda and her little dog too.  So I owe the invention of this soup to my dysfunctional experience in New Orleans.  Granted, I didn’t stay at Bacco, but the education I received in that hot, pungent, garlic-infused corner of that kitchen has stayed with me, like a rash.

I have heard this soup be described as liquid crack.  I had a customer ask if she could just take it intravenously.  I have beer distributors who, every Monday and Thursday, consume a bowl of it and then complain throughout the off-seasons for our lack.  I have regular customers who come to the Hopvine three or four times a week  only during the six months that this soup is on the menu.  I have been repeatedly asked to jar and sell this soup prepackaged.  I sell more quarts of this soup to go than any other soup, apart from my Southwestern Pumpkin.  I would venture to guess that only .1% of the customers who have ordered it have not enjoyed it.  The bowls certainly come back empty.

This recipe makes more soup than most of my other entries.  I do this because if you are going to make it you might as well make a lot at once and freeze the part not needed. If you don’t wish make this much soup at once, divide all the amounts by eight and follow the instructions and given."

3 1/2 HOURS PREP TIME • YIELDS Forty Eight 1-CUP SERVINGS

2 Cups olive oil
2 Cups minced garlic
2 Cups Roasted garlic purée (page xx)
8 Cups Chablis
16 Cups Vegetable stock
2 ounces fresh marjoram leaves and stems, chopped
2 ounces fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
2 ounces fresh thyme leaves and stems, chopped
2 ounces fresh oregano leaves and stems, chopped
2 ounces fresh rosemary stemmed and chopped
2 ounces fresh sage, stemmed and chopped
2 Tablespoons India Red Chili flakes
16 Bay leaves crumbled
2 Tablespoons whole Tellicherry black peppercorn
2 Tablespoons French sea salt
16 cups heavy whipping cream
Croutons (page xx)
Gruyere Cheese, sliced thin
Whole nutmeg (optional)

1. In a two gallon deep stock pot, sauté minced garlic in olive oil over high heat until golden.
2. Add all the herbs, salt, pepper and chili flakes to the pot.  Stir well to coat with oil, cover and lower heat to a medium flame and sautée for 15 minutes.  Stirring occasionally to keep the herbs from scorching on the bottom of the pot.  
3. Whisk together the wine, roasted garlic purée, and half the vegetable stock.  Add to the pot. Stir well, cover and let the soup reach a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, and allow the soup to simmer for 3 hours.
4. In batches, puree the soup in a food processor until it reaches a smooth consistency.  Press as much purée as possible through a strainer.  Discard all bits and pieces that remain in the strainer.  Whisk in the remaining vegetable stock.  Place in the refrigerator and allow it to cool uncovered. (At this point you can freeze the soup.
5. When ready to serve, preheat oven to 400˚F.  For every cup of soup whisk in a half cup of heavy cream.  Bring this to a simmer over medium heat.  Put a 1/4 cup croutons in each soup bowl.  Fill each bowl with the soup.  Place enough slices of Gruyere over the soup that it completely covers the soup and rests on the edges of the bowls.  Place in Warm oven and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.  Carefully remove the bowls from the oven.  Place on serving plates and shave fresh nutmeg on top of each soup.  Serve immediately.