Method

• Peel the onion, chop it roughly and soften it in the butter in a deep pan, but do not let it colour! Stir in half the bacon, cut into smallish pieces (keep the remaining pieces for later), then the potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small pieces
• Let the ingredients blend together without colouring for at least 10 minutes
• Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, adding salt and pepper as you go
• Turn the heat down so that the mixture simmers gently for fifteen to twenty minutes or so, till the potatoes will collapse against slight pressure from the back of a spoon
• Add the broccoli, which is trimmed of any tough stalks, and simmer for ten minutes
• You want the broccoli to keep as much of its brilliant green colour as possible
• Pour in the milk, simmer briefly, then process the mixture in a blender till smooth, checking the seasoning as you do so
• Grill the remaining bacon till crisp, then the serve the soup in warm bowls, each with a piece of crisp bacon on its surface