Always up for discovering new ingredients, I found little critters of jerusalem artichoke or also called sunchoke at the market the other day and was curious what it would taste like. Think alien-like edible tuber (like potato, yam, radish), a cross between a potato and a really big ginger, it’s mild in flavor and high in water content, taste like artichoke hearts but texture of a, say, radish? And bonus? no peeling away thorny leaves to get to the artichoke heart!
Coming from a species of sunflower, and unlike other root vegetable, jerusalem artichokes have no starch (or the kind of starch we’re used to anyways). Instead, they have inulin, a fructose/glucose energy thing that helps with calcium absorption and does not raise your blood sugar which is great for diabetics. It’s known to have caused some tummy discomfort in large amounts – so ease into it and see if it affects you.
In my first attempt, I decided to make a mashed jerusalem artichoke to really enjoy the artichoke hearts flavor. In researching, it supposedly gets too mushy if you try to boil them, but I also found a recipe for jerusalem artichoke soup from Cook Sister! so maybe it’s good to try that as well. Lastly – they can also be enjoyed raw, sliced and tossed into salads providing a nice crunchy texture similar to jicama but with a more artichoke taste.
See here for mashed jerusalem artichoke recipe, very very easy! Mashed Jerusalem Artichoke
Serves 4
6-8 jerusalem artichoke/sunchoke tubers
1/4 cup heavy cream or half -n -half
salt and pepper to taste
truffle-infused olive oil to taste
1) Steam jerusalem artichoke for 15-20 min. To test for doneness, pierce with a fork until it goes through the vegetable without much force.
2) Cool for ~10 min, peel skin with hands (should come off easily) and mash well.
3) Turn on heat, add salt, pepper and heavy cream until mixed well.
4) Serve drizzled with coarse ground pepper and good olive oil.
You could also squeeze some lemon juice/zest, parmesan or bread crumbs for balance.
never even heard of jerusalem artichoke….where would someone acquire this? And how do you know you’ve picked a good one?
You can find it at your local farmers market or Whole Foods. You want to pick the critters that feel firm to touch and not soggy/mushy. I’d start with three tubers for two peeps, try it and see if you like it:)