Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Lauded in the press and loved by locals & guests alike, this particular soup will probably stay on the menu at The Swan for some time to come. Matt Wardman, our head chef, suggests serving it just like we do with a drizzle of white truffle oil, or if you have made our pancetta recipe then crispy pancetta & parmesan cheese straws are lovely with this soup. He also suggests you try making your own artichoke crisps, simply slice the roots with a mandolin (mind those fingers) and fry in a shallow pan to golden. This is a really flexible recipe and if you want to avoid dairy use olive oil to replace the butter, and omit the cream/creme fraiche.
Make your own vegetable stock: Cover 2 carrrots, 1 leek, 2 onions, 3 sticks celery all roughly chopped with 2 litres of cold water, in a large saucepan. Add 1 tsp salt & a bouquet garni and bring to the boil. Once boiling turn off the heat and leave to infuse overnight before straining.
Ingredients:
500g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled & chopped
1.5 brown english onions, peeled & chopped
100ml white wine
1 ltrs vegetable stock
100g unsalted butter
100 ml double cream/creme fraiche
salt & black pepper
2 sprigs thyme
2.5 cloves garlic, peeled
Method:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat until soft.
Add the jerusalem artichokes, white wine, 1 tsp salt, thyme & garlic, cover with the vegetable stock and simmer gently until cooked (approx 30 minutes)
Once the artichokes are soft, add the cream or creme fraiche and bring to the boil.
Season with salt & pepper and blitz to a fine puree, before passing through a sieve to remove any lumps.
Take your choice of garnish from Matt's recommendations above, and enjoy!
