Crème d’Artichauts au Beurre de Noisette

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4-quart heavy saucepan
• •Food processor
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Flexible spatula or small ladle
• •Sharp paring knife and sturdy spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the bottoms

   Pull away the tough outer leaves from each artichoke, cut off the remaining leaf cone, and pare away every dark green, fibrous patch until only the pale bottom remains. Trim the stem flush and scrape out the furry choke with a spoon. Drop each finished bottom directly into a pan of cool water while you work, then bring the water to a gentle simmer and parboil for 8 to 12 minutes. A knife should enter with some resistance because the bottoms will finish cooking in butter. Drain them thoroughly and blot them dry.

2. 2

   Stew in butter

   Mince the parboiled bottoms very finely. Melt the unsalted butter in a wide saucepan over medium-low heat, add the artichoke, and cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until completely tender and no watery moisture remains. Keep the mixture pale. If the butter begins to color, lower the heat and stir in a tablespoon of water at once. Ça se rattrape. Continue until that water has evaporated and the artichoke smells concentrated and sweet.

3. 3

   Pound and combine

   Transfer the warm artichoke to a food processor and work it to a dense, even paste, scraping the bowl several times. This replaces the mortar, nothing more. Warm the Béchamel Sauce (No. 28) gently in the cleaned saucepan, fold in the pounded artichoke, and stir over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, only until the two become completely uniform.

4. 4

   Pass through the sieve

   Set a fine-mesh sieve over a clean saucepan and press the mixture through with a flexible spatula or the back of a ladle, scraping the smooth purée from the underside into the pan. Discard the dry fibres left behind. Do not skip this because the artichoke looks smooth from the processor; its fine strings reveal themselves on the spoon. If the mixture resists the sieve, blend it briefly with one ladleful of the measured consommé or milk, then pass it again.

5. 5

   Loosen without boiling

   Whisk in the remaining white consommé or milk a little at a time, keeping the prescribed half-quarter-quarter balance intact. Set the pan over medium-low heat and warm the crème until glossy and fluid enough to fall from the ladle in a broad ribbon. It must not boil. A clear, lightly seasoned white chicken stock is the honest home equivalent for a white consommé kept constantly ready; whole milk gives the softer meatless version expressly allowed by the original.

6. 6

   Finish at service

   Take the pan off the heat. Whisk in the very fresh cream, followed by the Hazel-nut Butter (No. 155), until the finish is fully dispersed and the surface shines without separate beads of fat. Taste and correct the seasoning only if the prepared Béchamel and consommé require it. If the crème boils or the butter separates, stop the heat, whisk in a tablespoon of cold cream, and blend briefly until smooth. Ça se rattrape. Pass it once more if necessary, ladle it immediately into warm bowls, and serve. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose heavy globe artichokes with tight leaves and stems that feel firm. If the market has only tired specimens, use 14 ounces (400 g) of good frozen artichoke bottoms, thawed and briefly blanched. The classical pantry has always understood preservation better than a sad produce shelf.
• •The beurre de noisette in this formula means Hazel-nut Butter (No. 155), made with actual toasted hazelnuts and butter. Do not replace it with beurre noisette. The names are close, but the preparations are not, and the word carries the technique.
• •Artichoke has a natural sweetness that can make some wines taste oddly metallic. Pour a dry, brisk Loire Chenin Blanc or a light, bone-dry white with firm acidity, and keep the serving modest because this crème is rich by design.
• •Warm the bowls before serving. A small first course of this smooth, nut-scented crème has more presence than an oversized bowl allowed to cool at the table.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Béchamel Sauce (No. 28) and Hazel-nut Butter (No. 155) in advance according to their own entries. Refrigerate them separately in covered containers, then bring the butter just to a workable consistency before finishing the soup.
• •The artichoke and Béchamel base may be combined and passed through the sieve one day ahead. Cool it promptly, cover its surface, and refrigerate. Reheat gently with the consommé or milk, then add the cream and hazelnut finish only when serving.
• •A finished batch keeps for up to two days in the refrigerator. Reheat over low heat without boiling; if the finish looks slightly separated, whisk in a spoonful of cold cream and blend briefly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 225g)