Jerusalem Artichoke Velouté with Crispy Mushrooms

Recipe:
Place a pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sweat the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook gently for another 2 minutes before adding the artichokes. Continue to sweat the vegetables down, stirring from time to time. Don’t allow them to catch on the bottom of the pan. Once they’re soft and smelling sweet, add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes until the artichokes are cooked through. Allow the soup to cool for 15 minutes before blending it in a liquidiser until smooth and silky. Taste and season if needed.

For the crispy mushrooms, place a pan on a high heat. Add the rapeseed or cooking oil, followed by the mushrooms and a good pinch of salt. Keeping the heat high, fry the mushrooms until golden. Keep stirring them until all the moisture has evaporated and they’re crisp and deep in colour.

Divide the soup into serving bowls and spoon the mushrooms on top. Finish with a generous sprinkle of the thyme, followed by a drizzle of olive oil.