Serves 4
Ingredients
500g (1lb 2oz) Jerusalem artichokes
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 leek, trimmed, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
100g (3½oz) whole almonds, soaked overnight in water
4 nori seaweed sheets
About 1.2 litres (40fl oz) vegetable stock
Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Make sure you have removed all the grit and soil from the artichokes, particularly if they are the knobbly variety, then peel. Place the peelings in a bowl of water for a final rinse, drain, then scatter them out in a single layer over some absorbent kitchen paper. Slice the actual artichokes thinly.
Set a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and when it’s hot add the artichoke slices, along with the onion, leek, garlic and the soaked nuts. Season everything really well with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring regularly for 8–10 minutes. Tear up 2 of the nori seaweed sheets and add these to the pan along with the stock. Bring the soup up to the simmer and let it cook gently for 20–30 minutes, or until the artichokes are nice and tender.
Ensure the reserved artichoke skins are completely dry. Heat 2–3cm (3⁄4–11⁄4in) of sunflower oil in a medium pan over a medium heat.
When it’s hot enough for frying (when a cube of bread turns golden
in 40–50 seconds), fry the skins in batches for about 1–11⁄2 minutes each, until crisp and golden. Don’t let them get too dark or they will taste bitter. Drain each batch on kitchen paper, then season with salt and set aside.
Leave the pan on the heat. Tear up the remaining nori sheets into bits and fry them in the hot oil for 10–15 seconds at a time. Drain these on kitchen paper, too.
When the soup is ready, transfer it to a blender and whiz to a purée. I like it nice and smooth so let the machine run for a minute or two.
Pour the soup into a clean pan and season with salt and pepper. Allow to stand for 10–15 minutes before serving in warmed bowls, garnished with the crispy peelings and seaweed and a trickle of olive oil.
