Cheese Soup From Alton Brown

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This is just smooth and delicious. The marsala is just perfect in it!!

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Steps

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Melt butter in large , heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat.

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Add onion , carrot , celery , and salt.

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Sweat for 5-10 minutes , or until veggies begin to soften , stirring occasionally.

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Sift the flour over the veggies and cook , strring constantly , for 2-3 minutes.

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Gradually add chicken broth and bring to boil , stirring constantly.

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Reduce heat to low and add garlic and bay leaf.

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Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until veggies are soft.

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Remove bay leaf.

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Turn off heat , add heavy cream and then puree with an immersion blender or in a conventional blender.

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Gradually add the cheese , 1 small handful at a time , and stir until melted before adding next handful.

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Stir in marsala , worcestershire , hot sauce , and white pepper.

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Taste and add additional salt if desires.

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If soup is not hot enough , return to low heat until warmed through.

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If not serving right away , store in a thermos to keep warm and avoid graininess.

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If refrigerating and reheating , use double boiler to re.

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Ingredients

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unsalted butter, onions, carrots, celery, salt, all-purpose flour, chicken broth, garlic, bay leaf, heavy cream, fontina cheese, marsala wine, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, white pepper