Recipe - Potato Soup With Smoked Salmon Relish

One half Stick Unsalted butter
1 One fourth pound Yellow onions; thinly cut or sliced up
3 Celery ribs; chopped (abt 1
cup)
Salt; to taste
Cayenne pepper; to taste
Freshly ground black pepper;
to taste
1 Bay leaf
3 tablespoon Chopped garlic
10 cup Chicken stock
2 pound Baking potatoes; peeled,
minced
One fourth cup Heavy cream
One half pound Smoked salmon; julienned
One fourth cup Brunoise red onions
2 tablespoon Chopped chives
A drizzle of extravirgin
olive oil

Melt the butter in a 6quart stock pot over mediumhigh heat. Add the
onions and celery. Season with salt, cayenne, and black pepper, stirring,
until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add the
bay leaf and garlic, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the stock and potatoes and
bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer,
uncovered, until the potatoes are very soft and the mixture is thick and
creamy, about 1 hour. Remove the soup from the heat. Discard the bay leaf.
With a handheld blender, puree until smooth. Slowly add the cream. Stir to
blend. Reseason the soup. In a small mixing bowl, combine the salmon, red
onions and chives. Drizzle the relish with enough oil to moisten. Season
the relish with black pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into individual
bowls. Garnish the soup with the relish. This recipe yields 10