Confessions of A Doxaholic

Recently, for soup night, I made Jerusalem Artichoke Soup.  It received an 11 rating, which is on the low end of the scale.  One tip is to have hot sauce on the table. 

Serves 4 (but I double the recipe)

4 tablespoons of butter

1 onion, chopped

3.5 cups of peeled and chopped artichokes

3.75 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of milk

1 cup of heavy cream

Generous pinch of saffron powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fresh chives for garnish

Step One-Melt the butter in large pot.  Add the onion and fry for five minutes or until soft but not brown.  Stir from time to time.

Step Two-Add the artichokes and stir until coated in the butter.  Cover and cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, being careful not to let the artichokes turn brown.  Pour in the chicken stock and milk.  Recover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Cool slightly, then process in a blender or food processor until pureed (I have a hand held processor that is a great investment). 

Step three-Strain the soup back into the rinsed pan.  Add half the cream, season to taste, and reheat slowly.  Lightly whip the remaining cream and saffron powder.  Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls and put a spoonful of saffron cream in the center of each.  Scatter the snipped chives over the top and serve at once.