Kartoffelsuppe

That German cuisine goes down well with foreign visitors was demonstrated during the World Economic summit in 1999, in Cologne. President Clinton liked the Kartoffelsuppe at Em Krützche so much that he went in person to thank chef Bernd Lilienthal.

Serves four

• 1 litre beef stock
• 350g large potatoes
• 2 medium-sized carrots
• 1 leek
• 1/2 celeriac
• 50 g bacon rind
• 50 g bacon
• 1 slice white bread, chopped for croutons
• 100 g crème fraiche
• sprig of marjoram
• sprig of lovage
• knob of butter
• salt, pepper

Preparation

Peel, wash and dice all the potatoes, one carrot, a quarter of the celeriac and half the leek, and cook in the beef stock with the bacon rind, lovage and marjoram for 20 minutes, then remove the rind and puree the whole mixture. Add the crème fraiche, salt and pepper. Add the remaining vegetables, diced very finely. Let the potage simmer for another five minutes. When ready, serve with fine strips of bacon, fried in butter with the diced bread. Em Krützche, Am Frankenturm 1-3, Köln-Altstadt, T: +0221/2580839 www.emkruetzche.de.