Artichoke Soup With Parmesan Sticks Recipes

Steps:

• Up to a month before, put all the soup ingredients in a pan and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, covered, for about 20-30 mins or until the artichokes and potatoes have become very tender. Liquidise the soup in batches until completely smooth. If you want to thin it, add more stock. Pour the soup into a rigid plastic container and leave to cool before covering and freezing.
• The day before serving, transfer the soup to the fridge to defrost overnight.
• On the day, heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Heat the soup and check the seasoning. While the soup is warming, put the grissini sticks on a baking tray. Scatter them with 1 tbsp of the Parmesan and put in the oven until warm and the cheese has melted, about 8-10 mins.
• Meanwhile, pour the cream into a small pan and simmer to reduce by a third. Stir in remaining Parmesan and let it melt. (For a little extra body, add a tbsp or two of soup.) Stir in 1-2 tbsp milk to cool it down, then blitz with a stick blender, if you like, for a frothy finish. (To avoid any splashes, transfer the cream to a larger pan or deep bowl to do this.) Ladle the soup between soup bowls, topping each with the warmed cream and a sprinkling of chives if using. Serve with the warm grissini sticks.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and the garlic and stir. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the artichokes, stock, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Using a handheld immersion blender, or in a blender in batches*, puree the soup. Add the 2 tablespoons mascarpone and blend again to combine. In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/3 cup mascarpone to soften.
• Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Dollop the top of each of the soups with a spoonful of the softened mascarpone cheese and top the cheese with chives.
• * When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Steps:

• Half-fill a large bowl with water and add the lemon juice. Peel the artichokes, then toss the peelings with the vegetable oil in a bowl and set aside. Chop the artichokes into rough chunks and submerge them in the lemony water.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan, and add the onion, potato, and seasoning. Drain the artichokes and stir them in. Cover the pan and sweat gently for 15 mins, stirring now and again.
• Pour in the stock, cover and simmer for 10-15 mins until the vegetables are completely tender. Whizz the soup in a blender or with a stick blender until very smooth, return to the pan, then add the cream and season to taste.
• Meanwhile, prepare the skins. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment (not foil, they will stick). Scatter the skins over, and roast for 10 mins. Turn them over, scatter with the Parmesan and rosemary and roast for 5 mins more or until crisp and dry, then season with a pinch of flaky salt and pepper. Serve the soup in bowls, add a swirl more cream (if you like) and top with the crisp skins.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the celery, onion and carrot in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the flour, thyme, salt and pepper until blended; gradually add broth. Add bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened., Reduce heat; whisk in the cream, cheese, artichokes and tomatoes. Bring to a gentle boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until flavors are blended. Discard bay leaves.

Steps:

• Drain and rinse artichoke hearts, squeezing them to remove excess water. Place in bowl of food processor, together with cayenne, creme fraiche and chopped dill. Process until artichokes are finely pureed. Set aside.
• Bring water to boil in lower half of a double boiler. Turn heat down to just barely simmering. Have a bowl of cold water with a few ice cubes in it standing by. In top half of boiler, place egg yolks and lemon juice. Whisk slightly to combine, then place over, but not in, the barely simmering water. Stir constantly with a wire whisk. Place a piece of butter in the eggs and continue stirring until eggs are warm and butter has melted. Then add another piece of butter and continue in the same manner until all the butter is used. If eggs start to curdle, immediately plunge the top boiler in bowl of icy water, still whisking. (This is an emergency procedure to lower the temperature rapidly.) Return the top boiler to the simmering water and continue adding butter.
• When all the butter has been added, sauce should be quite thick. Add grated cheese and whisk to mix well. Place boiler in icy water to reduce temperature slightly, then stir in artichoke mixture. Use this sauce to nap the mushroom roulade. May be served immediately or held for an hour or so, but do not refrigerate as it will make the sauce granular.
• Serve garnished with herbs, chives and edible flowers, passing remaining sauce.