The first thing to note about jerusalem artichokes is that they are not as the name might imply, from jerusalem nor are they artichokes. The next thing to note is that you would not be a complete fool if you mistook their bulbous, knobbly, tuber-like appearance to ginger. So when you go to your greengrocer, ask them to point them out to you as the last thing you want to happen is that you get home and find that you have bought a kilogram of ginger. It's not big and it's not clever and you'll be cooking ginger for a year (one of my next recipes will be making crystalised stem ginger in the case this fate happens upon you).
But it is important to note that if you will be buying Jerusalem artichokes, you will have to do so now as they are in season for about 4 weeks a year and it's round about now. seriously, it's a narrow and delicious window period. You also won't find them in your regular retail outlets, you will need to go to a specialised fruit and veg store.
Jerusalem artichokes are often used as a potato substitute for diabetics because it mimics a starch but it actually isn't. The taste is very difficult to explain, other than they are sublime. They are creamy and nutty and sweet all at once. They make great crisps when sliced very fine and drizzled with olive oil and whacked into a high temperature oven for 10 minutes or another great recipe is jerusalem artichoke soup which I will post tomorrow.
The first time I had jerusalem artichokes was as a side dish at my friend's restaurant The Rivington Bar and Grill in Old Street in London. Mark Hix, owner and friend and chef extrodinaire, Mark Hix used only seasonal foods at the restaurant and he also had a strong focus on British traditional food and dishes. He was chef director if The Ivy, J Sheeky's, Scotts and the Rivington was his next project but by know means his last. Anyhow, it was a bitterly cold day and these steaming, silky potato-ish type things arrived at the table and I can't begin to tell you how beyond orgasmic they were.
I haven't eaten them since and I can't tell you what made me go into the greengrocers on Thursday last week and ask for them, but I did and there they were. I went to Dunkeld fruit and veg in Johannesburg and the lady told me I was very lucky to get them and they only had them in for about 4 weeks a year and they have only one supplier. SO HURRY!
I was going to cook them for dinner whilst Rory was away but I thought it only fair to save them for him and see what he thought of them (he waxed lyrical, by the way)!
So here's how you cook them, you can't go wrong and it can't be simpler.
Firstly, preheat your oven to about 160 degrees
1) cut the knobbly bits off so it's an easier smooth surface to peel.
2) use a carrot peeler to peel the fine skin off (work quick because they discolour or put the ones in water that you have already peeled)
3) rinse them and dry them off
4) pour a generous amount of olive oil into a roasting pan and put your artichokes in.
5) roll them aound and make sure that all sides of the artichokes are covered
6) sprinkle with salt
7)out artichokes into the oven and turn after 20 minutes so all sides brown
8) turn oven down to about 120 degrees and leave for another 20 minutes
And that, really is all you have to do. Serve jerusalem artichokes as if they are a starch. A great accompaniment to fish, meat and chicken.
Enjoy. And remember to get them now! You snooze, you loose.
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