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1
Bring the water to a boil in an 8-quart pot.
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2
Trim the top third off each artichoke and discard, along with the stems.
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3
The bottom two-thirds of each artichoke should remain in tact.
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4
Set 2 artichoke bottoms aside, quarter the other 6 artichoke bottoms and toss with the lemon juice and olive oil.
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5
Transfer quartered artichokes, lemon juice, and oil to the water and boil for 10 minutes.
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6
Drain artichokes.
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7
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a 4-quart pot and add the cooked artichokes.
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8
Stir them over low heat for about 10 minutes, be careful not to let the butter burn.
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9
Pour in the stock and boil for 20 minutes.
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10
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.
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11
Dip the bread slices into the melted butter and saute over medium heat until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
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12
Add the cooked bread to the pot with the artichokes and simmer for 5 minutes.
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13
Remove from heat and add the cream.
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14
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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15
Puree the soup in a food processor, then run it through a food mill until smooth.
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16
Cool 1-1/2 cups of soup in the freezer.
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17
Puree the chervil in the chilled soup (make sure the soup is cold before you puree the chervil, because if it is hot, the chervil will turn brown).
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18
Heat the chervil mixture to 200 degrees F.
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19
Thinly slice the reserved artichoke bottoms and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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20
Drain on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
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21
Evenly distribute the hot soup among 8 bowls.
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22
Drizzle the chervil mixture over the soup and garnish with the fried artichokes.
