A velvety cream soup using only ¼ cup of cream? The trick is adding a potato, which not only contributes a subtle earthy flavor but also adds enough starch to thicken the soup. Be careful with these Parmesan chips (a version of the northern Italian classic frico): if left unattended, they tend to disappear all on their own.
8 SERVINGS
4 |
medium artichokes (about 2 pounds) |
1 |
small onion, diced |
3 |
tablespoons olive oil |
1 |
carrot, diced |
4 |
garlic cloves, minced |
1 |
medium boiling potato (about ½ pound), peeled and diced |
|
Salt |
4 |
cups chicken broth |
¼ |
cup heavy cream |
2 |
large egg yolks |
|
Fresh lemon juice (optional) |
|
Parmesan Chips (see recipe) |
Pare the artichokes as described in the sidebar, then cut into quarters and keep in a bowl of acidulated water until ready to use.
Place the onion and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and continue cooking until the carrot has softened, 5 to 10 minutes, being careful not to let the vegetables brown.
Add the garlic and potato and cook for another 5 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, chop the artichoke quarters into ½-inch pieces and add them to the saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook, covered, for 10 minutes to begin marrying the flavors.
Add the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the vegetables are soft enough that you can smash them between your fingers, 25 to 30 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and wipe the saucepan clean. Puree the soup in a blender on high speed until light and smooth, about 30 seconds. Do this in 3 batches to keep from overflowing the blender. As each batch is pureed, pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into the saucepan. Stir the soup that’s in the strainer to help it pass through.
When all of the soup has been pureed and strained into the saucepan, return the saucepan to medium-low heat. In a bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and egg yolks until smooth. When the puree has neared the simmer, spoon ½ cup of it into the cream-egg mixture and whisk until smooth. This will “temper” the egg yolks, cooking them slightly so they won’t curdle when you add them to the saucepan.
Slowly whisk the cream-egg mixture into the saucepan and continue to cook, whisking frequently, until the soup has thickened slightly and the texture has become silken, about 5 minutes. Do not let the soup boil, or the egg will curdle. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice, if desired.
Ladle about ½ cup of hot soup into each of eight small soup bowls and garnish with a crisp Parmesan chip in the center. Serve.
MAKES 8 CHIPS
¾ |
cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano |
Place the cheese in 1½-tablespoon mounds in a large, dry nonstick skillet. Leave plenty of space between the mounds; you’ll be able to cook 4 or 5 mounds per batch. Gently spread each mound into a thin round with your fingers. Place the skillet over low heat. The cheese will melt, begin to bubble and finally, after 3 to 5 minutes, begin to brown around the edges. Sliding the tip of a fork under one edge, flip each chip and continue cooking until the other side is lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.