Fennel & Potato Soup with Smoked Salmon

I really didn't know I wanted to make a fennel soup until I began looking through a Patricia Wells cookbook (At Home in Provence) and saw a recipe for Caramelized Fennel Soup. But my husband is not a big fennel fan and her version was basically fennel, stock and a bouquet garni. So I thought I'd check around on-line and found this recipe at Epicurious and liked the idea of pairing smoked fish with fennel.

After reading the reviews from people who had tried the recipe, I made a few changes:

1. I used more fennel and two rather than one leek.
2. I had to use a mix of fennel and anise seed as I was just about out of fennel seed.
3. I used one rather than two russet potatoes because I often think that potatoes can dominate a soup and we like less starchy soups generally.
4. after sauteing the fennel and leek, I deglazed with Pernod, before adding the potato and stock.
5. I garnished with creme fraiche, fennel fronds, and smoked trout rather than smoked salmon. I used the trout for two reasons -- I had it on hand and it just seemed better to me for this dish than salmon.

I loved it ... but even better, my fennel-doubting husband pronounced it company worthy. I agree with him. The only changes I might make going forward are:

1. maybe a little squeeze of lemon juice (maybe not)
2. for a dinner party, I think I might like an even silkier texture so after blending, I'd pour it through a strainer or chinois.