Buttered potato soup

Pick floury varieties such as bintje or russet, not waxy ones. Floury potatoes break down naturally in the simmer and give a creamy soup without thickener.

Peel the potatoes, cut into two-centimetre cubes. Rinse briefly under cold water to remove excess surface starch which would otherwise turn gluey when blended.

Place cubes in 1.2 litres of water with dried thyme, salt and one tablespoon of butter. Bring to a slow simmer, cook covered twenty minutes until completely soft.

Blend with an immersion blender three minutes; do not over-blend or the starch turns gluey. Stop when the surface looks like fresh cream.

Off heat, whisk in cold butter cube by cube and the cream. Each piece emulsifies, building richness without splitting. Taste, balance the salt.

Ladle into warm bowls. Drop a small dollop of cream in the centre, drag a wooden pick to make a curl. A pinch of dried thyme finishes the bowl visually and aromatically.