Artichoke cream soup with hazelnut and crispy bacon

Preheat the oven to 350F (about 180C) for the bacon. Finely slice the shallots and slice the artichokes, making sure the chokes are removed from the bottoms.

Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat, not too hot or it will color the shallots.

Cook the shallots about a couple of minutes without coloring them; slight color is acceptable.

Slice the garlic with the germ removed and add it to the shallots; stir. Add the artichokes, cover with the stock and mix, scraping down the sides.

Bring to a boil on high, then reduce to medium and simmer gently about half an hour or until the vegetables are tender.

Lay the bacon slices on parchment paper on a large cookie sheet, cover with another sheet of parchment, press, and set two cookie sheets on top to keep it flat.

Bake the bacon at 350F for about 20 minutes.

Once the soup reaches a rolling boil, turn it down to medium and simmer about 20 minutes.

Grind the hazelnuts in a little food processor, without big chunks.

Check that the artichokes are very soft and tender.

Blend the soup in two batches without overfilling the blender; hold the lid down firmly with a rag, open briefly to release steam before starting, then increase the speed.

Return the soup to the stove, add the cream and bring to a boil. Taste.

Season with a pinch of salt, since the canned artichokes were already salted, and white pepper because the soup is clear.

Check the bacon after 20 minutes; cooked but not dry, so cook it another 20 minutes.

Increase the oven to 400.

At 30 minutes total, absorb the fat with paper towel, cover again and return to the oven for about 10 minutes.

Keep the soup hot over medium. Add half of the ground hazelnuts to the soup and reserve the other half for garnish.

For the last five minutes, remove the top paper and tray so the bacon dries out completely and becomes very crispy.

Lift the bacon with a spatula, absorb the excess fat and leave on a cooling rack to dry and cool.

Plate the soup with the bacon whole or cut, floating on top; sprinkle with the reserved hazelnuts and garnish with a little parsley.