Time: 1:00 Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan until it foams. Drop in the potatoes and onions, toss and stir to film the pieces with butter Lay a piece of foil on top of the vegetables and tuck it in around the edges to seal in the steam. This keeps the vegetables from drying out. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the begetables to soften over low heat for about 10 minutes. Don't let them brown or the flavor of the soup will be destroyed. Remove the foil. Add the milk, chicken stock, garlic, sachet (thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, mace) and parsley. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.

Discard the sachet and parsley. Puree the soup in a food processor or puch through a sieve or chinois. Reheat in a clean saucepan. Season with salt, if desired. Although the soup simmered with the black peppercorns in the sachet, it may need and additional sprinkling or two of pepper. Use white pepper, which will not show in the soup. The soup should be thick, the consistency of heavy cream.

If too thick, thin with additional milk or chicken stock.

Pour a tablespoon of the evaporated milk into each heated soup bowl. Ladle in the soup. Sprinkle snippets of chives over the top.

Mis-typed by Jane Rosenberg-Coombs 11/9/96