Ingredients :

• Yukon Gold Potatoes — The ideal variety here. Not too starchy like Russets that turn into mush at the slightest look, and not too waxy like Fingerlings that don’t cook well over a long duration. Yukon Golds have that pale yellow flesh that holds its shape while releasing just enough starch to thicken the broth naturally. If you can’t find them, Charlotte potatoes will work just fine.
• Smoked Turkey Ham — Get thick slices from the deli counter rather than thin vacuum-packed ones — they hold up better after six hours of cooking and the smoky flavor is much more prominent. Cut them into generous one-centimeter chunks. Not confetti.
• Turkey Bacon — Non-negotiable: it must be pan-fried before going into the slow cooker. Raw, it will never get crispy in a broth. Cooked, it provides that little crunch as a garnish and that smoky-salty note that elevates the whole soup.
• Thick Crème Fraîche — This is added at the end of cooking, never at the start. If you put it in too early, it curdles and the soup becomes grainy — and that’s hard to fix. At the last moment, it provides that silky creaminess and a slight acidity that balances the richness of the roux.