Loaded potato soup

Cook the bacon, cut from frozen, until it renders its fat and crisps.

Slice the potatoes rather than dicing them so they fall apart into the soup; keep them in water so they do not oxidize.

Finely chop onion, garlic and celery; take the bacon out.

Pour off about half the fat, leaving about 4 tablespoons, and cook the onions and celery in it until about 90% cooked and browned.

Add about four chopped cloves of garlic and cook about 30 seconds; added earlier, it would darken and turn bitter.

Stir in flour until no raw flour is visible.

Blend in chicken stock, then heavy cream, then the sliced potatoes and the all purpose seasoning.

Bring to a boil, partially cover and simmer until thickened and the potatoes melt into the soup, about an hour and 20 minutes.

Stir the bacon back in and taste for seasoning.

Top with freshly shredded sharp cheddar, scallions and cracked black pepper.