Jerusalem Artichoke SoupServes 4
1 pound Jerusalem artichokes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tablespoons butter
1 leek, white part only, sliced into 1/2inch pieces
1 carrot, sliced into 1/2inch rounds
3 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade) or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly grated nutmeg
Brush and scrub Jerusalem artichokes under cold running water. Cut them into 1/4 inch slices and toss with lemon juice.
Melt butter in a 4 quart nonreactive saucepan. Add leek, carrot and Jerusalem artichokes with the lemon juice. Cover and cook over gentle heat for 20 minutes.
Add 2 1/2 cups stock or water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and simmer for another 25 minutes.
When cooked, remove from the heat and puree the soup with an additional 1/2 cup stock, or water and cream. Pass puree through a drum sieve. Return soup to a clean saucepan and reheat.
Ladle soup into warm soup bowls and dust each portion with fresh grated nutmeg.