Sunchoke Soup with a Proscuitto Croissant

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

2 white onions, small diced

1 celery heart, finely diced

1 leek (white part only), washed and finely chopped

100 g salted butter

400 g sunchokes, peeled, finely chopped and soaked in milk

Salt and white pepper to taste

11⁄2 cups (350 ml) chicken stock

11⁄2 cups (350 ml) hot milk

Puff pastry

Prosciutto slices

Grainy mustard

Egg wash

Preparation

In a medium stockpot on moderate heat, sweat the vegetables in the butter until translucent, lightly seasoning with salt
Add the sunchokes and sweat for two more minutes
Add stock just to cover the vegetables and turn up heat to high
Cook for 20 minutes until the sunchokes soften
Transfer to a blender and blitz on high for one minute (break up into smaller batches if necessary). Season to taste and pass through a sieve before serving

Croissant

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to 2-3 mm thick
Cut out triangles 10 cm high to a 7.5 cm diameter base
Brush with grainy mustard and egg wash. Top with a slice of prosciutto
Roll up croissant from the base to the tip, and brush more egg wash on top
Bake in oven on a greased, lined tray until golden and crispy (approximately 20 minutes)
Serve on top of soup as garnish

Note: Always bake puff pastry from cold as the butter will stay incorporated in the pastry during baking, allowing an even, crispy finish