Artichoke Soup Recipe Jamie Oliver

SAUTéED JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES WITH GARLIC AND BAY LEAVES

Steps:

• Jerusalem artichokes are sweet and almost garlicky and mushroomy and gorgeous. Although called artichokes they're actually tubers - like rough and ready potatoes. You can scrub and roast them whole like mini jacket potatoes and split them open, drizzled with a little chilli oil. You can even use them in a salad with smoky bacon. A Jerusalem artichoke's best friends are sage, thyme, butter, bacon, bay, cream, breadcrumbs, cheese and anything smoked.
• To serve 4, you will need 600g/1lb 6oz of Jerusalem artichokes. Peel them, then cut them into chunks. Place them in an oiled frying pan and fry on a medium heat until golden on both sides, then add a few bay leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced, a splash of white wine vinegar, some salt and pepper, and place a lid on top. After about 20 to 25 minutes they will have softened up nicely and you can remove the lid and the bay leaves. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes to crisp the artichoke slices up one last time, then serve straight away. Personally, I think they go well with both meat and fish and are particularly good in a plate of antipasti, or in soups or warm salads.

CREAMY ARTICHOKE SOUP WITH PARMESAN SKINS

Steps:

• Half-fill a large bowl with water and add the lemon juice. Peel the artichokes, then toss the peelings with the vegetable oil in a bowl and set aside. Chop the artichokes into rough chunks and submerge them in the lemony water.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and add the onion, potato, and seasoning. Drain the artichokes and stir them in. Cover the pan and sweat gently for 15 mins, stirring now and again.
• Pour in the stock, cover and simmer for 10-15 mins until the vegetables are completely tender. Whizz the soup in a blender or with a stick blender until very smooth, return to the pan, then add the cream and season to taste.
• Meanwhile, prepare the skins. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment (not foil, they will stick). Scatter the skins over, and roast for 10 mins. Turn them over, scatter with the Parmesan and rosemary and roast for 5 mins more or until crisp and dry, then season with a pinch of flaky salt and pepper. Serve the soup in bowls, add a swirl more cream (if you like) and top with the crisp skins.

ARTICHOKE SOUP WITH PARMESAN STICKS

Steps:

• Up to a month before, put all the soup ingredients in a pan and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, covered, for about 20-30 mins or until the artichokes and potatoes have become very tender. Liquidise the soup in batches until completely smooth. If you want to thin it, add more stock. Pour the soup into a rigid plastic container and leave to cool before covering and freezing.
• The day before serving, transfer the soup to the fridge to defrost overnight.
• On the day, heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Heat the soup and check the seasoning. While the soup is warming, put the grissini sticks on a baking tray. Scatter them with 1 tbsp of the Parmesan and put in the oven until warm and the cheese has melted, about 8-10 mins.
• Meanwhile, pour the cream into a small pan and simmer to reduce by a third. Stir in remaining Parmesan and let it melt. (For a little extra body, add a tbsp or two of soup.) Stir in 1-2 tbsp milk to cool it down, then blitz with a stick blender, if you like, for a frothy finish. (To avoid any splashes, transfer the cream to a larger pan or deep bowl to do this.) Ladle the soup between soup bowls, topping each with the warmed cream and a sprinkling of chives if using. Serve with the warm grissini sticks.

CREAMY ARTICHOKE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and the garlic and stir. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the artichokes, stock, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Using a handheld immersion blender, or in a blender in batches*, puree the soup. Add the 2 tablespoons mascarpone and blend again to combine. In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/3 cup mascarpone to soften.
• Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Dollop the top of each of the soups with a spoonful of the softened mascarpone cheese and top the cheese with chives.
• * When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

BAKED JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES WITH BREAD CRUMBS, THYME AND LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 230C/450F.Gas 8. In a bowl mix together your creme fraiche, lemon juice, garlic, half the thyme and most of the Parmesan, and season well to taste. Thin out with around 6 to 8 tablespoons of water and throw in the sliced Jerusalem artichokes. Mix well and place everything in an ovenproof baking dish. Cover with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes.
• Mix the bread crumbs, the remaining thyme and some salt and pepper with a touch of olive oil. Remove the artichokes from the oven, discard the foil and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top. Then sprinkle the flavored bread crumbs over the Parmesan. Use up all the bread crumbs. Bake in the oven for about15 minutes until the bread crumbs are golden. If you're in a pokey pokey kind of mood you can poke the artichokes about a bit so some of the bread crumbs fall underneath them. This makes it look more rustic instead of like a crumble.