Creamy artichoke soup with parmesan skins

• lemon↗juice ½
• Jerusalem artichoke↗500g g
• vegetable oil↗2 tsp tsp
• butter↗25g g
• onion↗1

  roughly chopped

• floury potato↗1

  (about 140 g/5 oz), e.g., King Edward, roughly chopped

• vegetable stock↗600ml ml

  or chicken stock

• double cream↗3 tbsp tbsp

  plus a little extra for serving (optional)

• finely grated parmesan1-2 tbsp tbsp

  (or vegetarian alternative)

• rosemary↗1

  sprig, only leaves, finely chopped

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Fill a large bowl halfway with water and add the lemon juice. Clean the artichokes, then toss the skins with vegetable oil in a bowl and set aside. Cut the artichokes into coarse pieces and soak them in the lemon water.

2. 2

   Melt the butter in a large pot and add the onion, potato and seasonings. Drain the artichokes and add them to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. 3

   Pour in the stock, cover and simmer over low heat for 10–15 minutes until the vegetables are completely soft. Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until very smooth, return to the pot, then add the cream and season to taste.

4. 4

   Meanwhile, prepare the skins. Preheat the oven to 220 °C/200 °C with convection/gas 7 and line a tray with parchment paper (not foil, it will stick). Spread the skins on the tray and bake for 10 minutes. Turn them over, sprinkle with parmesan and rosemary and bake another 5 minutes until crisp and dry, then season with a pinch of coarse salt and pepper. Serve the soup in bowls, optionally add a little more cream and top with the crunchy skins.