Mikael Svensson’s Jerusalem Artichokes and Coffee

Ingredients

For the Artichoke Skin

• 10 medium sized artichokes
• Oil for deep frying
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• Salt

For the Artichoke Cream

• Meat from the cooked artichokes above
• 10 peeled artichokes cut in pieces
• Oil for frying
• 100g butter
• 1 L cream
• 60g coffee beans, crushed
• Salt

For the Plum Vinegar Pearls

• 150g aged plum vinegar or balsamico vinegar
• 150g brewed coffee
• 4g Agar
• 1L Neutral oil, ice cold from freezer

For the Coffee and Artichoke Reduction

• 1kg of washed artichokes
• 20 g of coffee beans, grinded
• Aged plum vinegar or balsamico
• Salt

For the Roasted Artichoke

• 10 small even artichoke pieces
• oil
• 50g butter
• Salt

Method

For the Filled Artichoke Skin

1. Cook the artichokes soft in boiling water, careful not to overcook them.
2. Strain the water, put the artichokes on a tray and dry them in the oven at 120 degrees C for 10 min.
3. Cut the artichokes in half and scoop out all the meat inside leaving a hollow skin – careful not to pierce the skin.
4. Dry the skin in a dehydrator for 10h until dry.
5. Blend 10 of the halves to a powder and then deep fry 10 in 190 degree C oil until puffed and crisp. Don’t fry it for too long as if the skin gets too dark it gets bitter.
6. Whisk the sour cream to soft peaks and then flavour it with salt and the powder from step 5.
7. Pipe the cream nicely inside the cold, crisp artichoke skin just before serving.

For the Artichoke Cream

1. On medium heat start roasting all the artichokes in a pan until they are golden brown, then add the butter and brown the butter with the artichokes until they are golden dark and caramelized.
2. Meanwhile, bring the cream to a boil and add the coffee. Then remove from the heat and leave to infuse.
3. Strain the cream over the evenly-browned artichokes and bring to a boil, then allow it to reduce a little to a thicker texture.
4. Mix everything to a thick cream, pass through a fine strainer and add salt to taste. Keep warm for serving.

For the Plum Vinegar Pearls

1. Keep the oil in the freezer for minimum 2 hours so it’s ice-cold before using.
2. Mix in the agar in the vinegar and coffee, bring to boil and simmer for 1 min, then let it cool down to about 60 degrees C.
3. From a small squeeze bottle, drip small drops of the agar-coffee mixture in to the ice-cold oil to create small pearls.
4. Leave at room temperature so the oil gets fluid, strain of the oil and keep for service.

For the Coffee and Artichoke Reduction

1. Juice all the artichokes in a vegetable juicer, strain and bring the juice to boil. Carefully lift away all the foam that comes to the surface.
2. Reduce the juice until about a ¼ is left.
3. Add the coffee and leave to infuse for 30 min.
4. Add vinegar and salt to taste and strain.
5. Serve warm with pearls inside.

For the Roasted Artichoke

1. Roast the artichokes lightly in oil until they have a golden colour all around.
2. Add the butter and let them brown a bit more and get soft all the way through.
3. Season with salt and serve.

Recipe Courtesy of Mikael Svensson of Michelin-starred Kontrast in Oslo.

Mikael Svensson Chef Feature.