Emma Alter
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I made a visit this weekend to the Green Living Show in Toronto. Once we got inside we decided to head straight to the food section before it got too crowded. It turned out to be a good plan. We got lots of free samples of organic cheeses, soy ice cream, and pickled garlic flowers, but it also gave me the opportunity to talk to people about their foods before it got busy. One of the first booths we hit was Chef Ezra Title's Chezvous. He was serving Jerusalem artichoke soup and although it was only 9:30 in the morning, I had to have some. I got chatting with Ezra and told him I had a pile of Jerusalem artichokes sitting on my counter from the farmers' market last week. He passed me over the recipe that he was using and I knew I had my Soup of the Week.
This is a truly delicious, sophisticated soup redolent with the earthy tubers. I made it for my family, but it would be a wonderful soup for a formal dinner. I wrote about Jerusalem artichokes earlier when I just roasted them, but the nutty flavour really lends itself to soup and this is going into my regular repertoire. If I had come across the recipe in print, I would have used milk or half and half cream, but tasting it first made me decide to use the heavy cream. I don't have a blender, so I used a food processor which really doesn't puree as finely. I dutifully put it through the sieve, but my son thought I was nuts to go to the effort, so my soup wasn't the same elegant smooth soup as Ezra's. I also didn't use as much salt as he did, so mine wasn't quite as bold a flavour, but it was still fabulous. Ezra's recipe calls for pumpkin seeds as a garnish, but in the interest of journalistic integrity, I have to point out that I got creme fraiche on top at the show.
Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (diced)
4 lbs Jerusalem artichokes
1/2 cup white wine
4 quarts chicken stock
1/4 bunch thyme
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
toasted pumpkin seeds (to garnish)
1. Clean Jerusalem artichokes extremely well with water and a sponge, ensuring all soil and sand is removed. Heat 6 litres soup pot on medium low, melt butter with olive oil and begin sauteing onions. Season with salt and pepper and add garlic after 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, slice Jerusalem artichokes using a serrated knife. After sweating the onions and garlic for 8 minutes, add the sliced artichokes and season again with salt and pepper. The Jerusalem artichokes will begin releasing their juices. Keep cooking until they are soft, ensuring that the bottom of the pot does not colour. After approximately 15 minutes, add the white wine and reduce until nearly dry. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Tie the thyme and bay leaf together with a string and add to the pot. Season again with salt and pepper. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, pour in the heavy cream, and cook for another 10 minutes.
3. To puree the soup, add small quantities to a blender (no more than 1/3 full), make sure the lid is secure, cover with a towel and being pulsing with your hand holding the lid in place. After three or four pulses, turn the blender on high and let it run for 30 seconds. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and repeat process.
4. Once the soup has been pureed, season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with pumpkin seeds.
Difficulty Level: Easy
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