Jerusalem artichoke soup with white truffle oil and brown soda bread scones

By Caroline Brewester
from Masterchef Goes Large

I saw this cooked on TV today and just had to share

Serves 4
Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour
Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour

The soup has a wonderfully rich, velvety texture. Serve it with hot soda bread with
lashings of salted butter.

For the soda bread scones
275g/10oz wholemeal flour
275g/10oz plain white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
400-500ml/14-18fl oz buttermilk

For the artichoke soup
675g/11/2lb Jerusalem artichokes
a good knob of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and diced
750ml/11/4 pints vegetable stock
100ml/31/2fl oz double cream
2 Tbsp white truffle oil
2 Tbsp chives, snipped
salt and white pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
For the scones, mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well in the
centre and add the smaller quantity of buttermilk. Mix by hand, adding more buttermilk
if necessary, until you have a soft but not sticky dough.
Turn out on to a floured surface and knead lightly - just enough to shape the dough into
a round. Flatten it to about 2.5cm/1in thick and cut out 8-10 scones, using a 7.5cm/3in
plain cutter. Put on to a floured baking tray and bake for about 20 minutes, until well
risen and golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

To make the soup, put the unpeeled artichokes in a pan of salted water and bring to the
boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for eight minutes, then drain.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion and potato. Cover and sweat until
soft but not coloured.
Peel and mash the artichokes, then stir them into the onion and potato mixture. Add the
stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Puree the soup in a blender, then pour through a sieve into a clean pan. Stir in the
cream and reheat the soup gently, without letting it boil. Taste and adjust the
seasoning.
Ladle the soup into four warm bowls. Drizzle the truffle oil over the surface and
sprinkle with the chopped chives.

Serve with the scones.


Regards
John H
YM: ferrengi_klingon_trek
http://uk.360.yahoo.com/advert_man_2006



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