Hi there!

Whilst dodging snow showers this last couple of weeks I was out in the front garden planting bulbs that I had discovered making a break for it in the boot of my car. These forgotten bulbs were tulips and daffodils I had purchased from the supermarket at the tail end of last year. Tulips and daffodils are some of my favourite flowers and only time will tell if I’ve killed them off before they got properly started, fingers crossed!

This week’s ingredient is a robust vegetable that once established, can be very hard to get rid of. These huge plants can grow from the smallest tuber hiding in the soil, so if growing Jerusalem artichokes make sure you get them all when you harvest! Alternatively, you can buy them from your local greengrocer as they are becoming more popular and are a great seasonal vegetable during the winter months when homegrown produce is scarce.

Jerusalem Artichokes

We are back with another lesser known vegetable but genuinely one of my favourites. The Jerusalem artichoke! Native to North America and despite its name, it’s actually a member of the sunflower family. It's also sometimes called a sunchoke, which is a bit more accurate, since it’s neither from Jerusalem nor related to artichokes!

The name Jerusalem artichoke may come from Italian settlers in North America calling the plant girasole, the Italian word for sunflower. This was then corrupted over time to Jerusalem by English speaking settlers. The artichoke part of Jerusalem artichoke's name comes from its taste. Around the turn of the 15th century Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer, sent some back to France, noting its taste was similar to that of an artichoke.

Jerusalem artichokes have a slightly nutty, slightly sweet flavour that makes them a great addition to a variety of dishes. They can be eaten cooked or raw and work equally well in savoury and sweet dishes (I will look out my Jerusalem artichoke ice cream recipe and pop it in a separate post!). They are low in calories and high in fibre, potassium, and iron. They also contain inulin, a prebiotic that is great for the growth of healthy gut bacteria.

To grow Jerusalem artichokes simply plant the tubers in March or April about 15cm (6 inch) deep in a large pot or prepared soil. Choose a sunny spot with plenty of space as these plants are large and can grow to about 3 metres (10ft) tall. When the stems get to about 30cm (1ft) tall, draw soil up around the plant to help stabilise it as it grows and to make sure none of the tubers growing close to the surface of the soil become exposed later on in the year. Once the plant starts to yellow and die back cut the stem down to 15cm (6 inch) so they are easy to locate when digging up in winter. In my experience Jerusalem artichokes are best stored in the ground until needed, they can be dug up and kept for a few days in the fridge before starting to soften. This is not necessarily a bad thing as this is when the inulin breaks down into fructose and at this point they are best used for ice cream, wine making or to make a sweet nutty syrup.

Crispy skins with mature cheddar and thyme

This recipe is great as a part of a meal, a snack or to serve at a dinner party! These little flavour packed skins remind me of the loaded potato skins of a well-known fast food restaurant where I started my cooking career. While I use mature cheddar, as I’m a fan of strong cheeses, other cheeses I recommend are gruyere or for a saltier finish some aged parmesan.

Makes: 4-6 servings

Cook time: 1¼ hours

Ingredients:

• 300g Jerusalem artichokes, left whole

• 3 tbsp oil

• 1 garlic bulb, cloves smashed apart and left unpeeled

• 30g mature cheddar, grated

• 1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped

• small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

• Salt

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F). In a bowl, toss the Jerusalem artichokes with the garlic, rosemary, a good pinch of salt and the oil then place on a lined baking tray and bake for about 30 minutes or until the Jerusalem artichokes are soft. Allow the artichokes to cool slightly then cut in half lengthways, scoop out the flesh and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F) and pop the skins back in the oven and bake until crisp, about 30 minutes.

Use a fork to mash out any lumps in the artichoke flesh then add 10g of cheddar and the parsley and mix. Spoon the mixture into the crispy skins and sprinkle the remaining cheddar on top, pop back into the oven for a couple of minutes to allow the cheese to melt! Enjoy!

Jerusalem artichoke & Parmesan Gratin

With their earthy, nutty flavour Jerusalem artichokes are fantastic roasted whole and served but add some cream, butter and garlic and you’ve got the perfect winter comfort food when the larder gets a bit bare.

Makes: 4-6

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2-4 tbsp oil

• 400g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and diced

• 25g butter

• 2 sprigs of thyme

• 50g white wine

• 1 tsp dijion mustard

• 250g double cream

• 150g whole milk

• 80g panko breadcrumbs

• 100g parmesan, grated

• Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

• Salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F). Combine the parmesan, panko and parsley in a bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 3-5 minutes until softened then add the Jerusalem artichokes, butter, a small pinch of salt and the sprigs of thyme, cook for 20-25 minutes until the artichokes are starting to soften and caramelised on the outside. While the artichokes are cooking, add the wine, milk, cream and mustard to a saucepan, bring to a simmer and reduce the mixture by half. Pour the reduction into the artichoke pan, mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spoon the gratin mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with the parmesan, panko and parsley mix. Pop in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the parmesan has melted and the gratin is a lovely golden brown on top. Take out of the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes, this will allow the gratin to set a little bit and not be so runny, then serve.

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Happy cooking!

Chef Stu