This luxurious soup is a winter treat, and the scallop adds an extra layer of gorgeousness, although it can be vegetarian by omitting them.

500g raw Jerusalem artichokes

Juice 2 lemons

Olive oil to marinate and fry

½ onion, roughly chopped

½ fennel bulb, roughly chopped

2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

1 tbsp snipped chives

50g butter

50ml of vermouth (or sake or white wine)

1 litre fish stock or vegetable nage

Soy sauce

4 large scallops, seasoned with salt and pepper

Squeeze of lime juice

knob of butter

To serve:

a few drops of truffle oil (optional)

• Three hours before serving, peel the artichokes into a bowl containing 1 litre of water and half of the lemon juice. Slice two of the peeled artichokes very thinly into crisps (ideally using a mandolin), then put into another bowl, squeeze over 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, season and lightly coat with olive oil. Leave to marinate for 2 hours.

• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the drained peeled artichokes and cook until tender – there should be no resistance when pierced with a sharp knife (about 10-20 minutes). Drain and refresh in cold water, then roughly chop them.

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pan or wok, add the onion, fennel, celery and chopped artichokes, then fry until softened (about 10 minutes). Add the chives, fry for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and cook on a high heat until the vegetables start to caramelise and catch on the pan. Pour in the vermouth (or sake/white wine) and deglaze the pan, then add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes with the lid off. Blitz into a smooth puree, and season well with salt, pepper and a few drops of soy sauce. Add a few drops of the remaining lemon juice to taste. Keep warm.

• Pat dry the marinated sliced artichokes. Heat a large frying pan with a good glug of olive oil. Fry the artichoke slices until golden on both sides, remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. In the same pan, add a little more oil if needs be, and gently fry the scallops until coloured – about two minutes on each side. Finally, squeeze over the lime juice and add the knob of butter.

• To serve, pour the soup into bowls. Place scallops in the centre and top with the artichoke crisps. Drizzle over a little truffle oil, and serve immediately.