Aka, Jerusalem artichokes + the earth apple; a species of sunflower, native to North America. Italians refer to this plant as girasole, a possible fore runner of the name Jerusalem.
sunchokes
Prepare as you would potatoes - roast, sauté, bake, boil or steam. Cook with or without the skin - scrub clean and leave it on for added nutritional benefit. Like an avacado or apple that oxidizes, after peeling or cutting, drop pieces into water with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Unlike potatoes, sunchokes can also be eaten raw as a crunchy addition to salads. They are also an excellent addition to stir frys, when sliced and added raw as a crisp substitute for water chestnuts.
Sunchokes contain vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium and are a very good source of iron. Sunchokes are very rich in inulin (not insulin), a carbohydrate linked with good intestinal health due to its probiotic properties.
roasted sunchoke chips recipe
Sunchoke Chips Gremolata
Makes four servings
chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle
1 pound sunchokes, well scrubbed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
For Gremolata:
2 Tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon, Lemon Zest
Mix all ingredients and sprinkle gremolata on roasted sunchokes.
Pre heat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a heavy duty roasting pan big enough so sunchokes are on one layer and not crowded, mix sliced sunchokes, rosemary, olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and golden. Turn sunchokes over with a spatula to allow top side to brown. When golden brown, remove and top with gremolata.
Serve with an optional Aioli.
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The technique with making an aïoli is to try and create an emulsion with the egg yolks supporting the liquid from the olive oil. Do not over pulse or pound the yolks and oil, don't add the oil too slow or too fast. This technique may take some trial and error. If done correctly you will have a thick mayonnaise like sauce; or if the sauce is broken the oil will have separated from the yolks and will look more like a vinaigrette.
Classic Aïoli
Makes 1 1/2 cups
*8 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
Coarse sea salt
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon juice
couple drop of water
Fresh ground black pepper
Always use caution with raw eggs. And this sauce must be kept chilled after it is prepared.
In a food processor or preferably a mortar pound the garlic cloves with pinch of sea salt and Dijon mustard until a thick paste forms. Add in the egg yolks and begin adding in the olive oil a few drops at a time with a fork or whisk. Continue to add the olive oil in a steady stream as the aioli begins to thicken. Stop and add a few drops of lemon juice, gradually add remaining olive oil and a few drops of water if the sauce becomes too thick. When all of the oil has been incorporated, season the aïoli with additional lemon juice, sea salt and pepper to taste.
Serve chilled. The aioli can be tightly covered and refrigerated overnight.
* A classic aïoli is made with raw garlic but again I prefer usingcaramelized garlicin place of raw garlic which offers a much sweeter and nuttier taste.
