Artichoke (Jerusalem) Soup

Ingredients

• 3 slices lean bacon or ham
• 0.5 head celery
• 1 turnip
• 1 onion
• 3 oz butter
• 4 lbs Jerusalem artichokes
• 1 or 0.5 pint boiling milk or boiling cream
• to taste salt
• to taste cayenne pepper
• 2 lumps sugar
• 2.5 quarts white stock

Method

Dice the bacon small and render it in a heavy-bottomed pot over moderate heat until the fat runs clear and the meat crisps at the edges — this becomes your flavour base. Roughly chop the celery, turnip, and onion into similar-sized pieces; add them to the bacon fat and cook until they soften and turn translucent at the edges, about 8–10 minutes. This vegetables soffritto foundation will anchor everything that follows.

Peel the Jerusalem artichokes just before adding them — they oxidise and discolour quickly once exposed to air. Cut them into rough chunks (uneven pieces actually accelerate breakdown during simmering) and add to the pot. Pour in the white stock and bring rapidly to a rolling boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. The artichokes themselves are waxy and dense; they need 30–40 minutes of sustained heat to break down completely. You'll know they're ready when a fork passes through without resistance and the pieces begin to collapse slightly.

Pass the entire contents through a fine sieve, pushing the softened vegetables through with the back of a ladle — don't discard the solids, they're carrying flavour. The starch and gelatin from both the artichokes and the stock will give the soup its natural body. Return this purée to a clean pot and bring back to a simmer.

Warm the milk or cream separately (boiling prevents a sharp temperature shock that can cause the soup to split), then pour it in slowly whilst stirring. Add the sugar lumps and stir until dissolved — they're there to counterbalance the slight earthiness of the artichokes and the heat of the cayenne, not to sweeten it perceptibly. Season with salt and ham|cayenne pepper to taste. The soup should coat the back of a spoon lightly; if it sits too thick, thin with additional warm dairy stock or cream. Serve in warmed bowls.