Good Food News Archive - March 2003 Supplement
Featured this week... JERSUALEM ARTICHOKES
Recipes: Baked Jerusalem Artichokes with Bread
Crumbs, Thyme and Lemon
Featured this week... JERSUALEM ARTICHOKES
Looks like:
This vegetable is not actually related to the artichoke despite
its name, but is a variety of sunflower. The "Jerusalem"
reference is also a bit of a misnomer as this knobby tuber
is native to North America. The name is actually derived from
the Italian word for sunflower - giralsole. Can you hear the
similarity? Confused? Perhaps this is why many people now
refer to these vegetables as sunchokes, though still keeping
the artichoke connection in a way.
The white flesh of a Jerusalem artichoke is juicy, nutty,
sweet and crunchy. They are edible tubers that look like fat
knobs of ginger. They are rough and knobby with a very thin,
light brown skin, some of which are tinged with red or purple.
Jerusalem artichokes are in season between the months of October
and March.
To cook:
You can eat Jerusalem artichokes raw or cooked. The skin is
edible and not necessary to peel, just give them a good scrub.
They will discolour soon after peeling, so be sure to keep
them in acidulated water (3 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar to
4 cups water) as you slice them. For salads, toss sliced or
grated Jerusalem artichokes with plenty of lemon juice or
vinegar to prevent dicolouration. You can boil, roast, steam,
fry or bake Jerusalem artichokes but be sure not to overcook
them or they will lose their taste and texture. So cook just
until tender for best results.
For your health:
Jerusalem artichokes are a very high source of iron and are
said to be on par with iron levels in meats, just without
the fat. They contain about 25 percent of your body's daily
requirements of iron. Jerusalem artichokes are also high in
thiamin and a source of potassium and niacin. If you've never
eaten a Jerusalem artichoke before, start slowly as it contains
a carbohydrate known as inulin, which some people cannot digest
efficiently. However it is considered a diabetic friendly
carbohydrate since it resists digestion and may limit a rise
in blood sugar levels after eating.
Recipes:
Baked Jerusalem Artichokes with Bread Crumbs, Thyme
and Lemon
Recipe courtesy Jamie Oliver
1 cup sour cream (the recipe calls for 1/2 pint creme fraiche
or double cream)
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 good handful fresh thyme, picked and chopped
1 to 2 handfuls grated Parmesan cheese
3 handfuls Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced as thick
as a pencil
2 good handfuls stale bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Preheat your oven to 230C/450F.Gas 8. In a bowl mix together
your creme fraiche, lemon juice, garlic, half the thyme and
most of the Parmesan, and season well to taste. Thin out with
around 6 to 8 tablespoons of water and throw in the sliced
Jerusalem artichokes. Mix well and place everything in an
ovenproof baking dish. Cover with tin foil and bake for 35
minutes.
Mix the bread crumbs, the remaining thyme and some salt and
pepper with a touch of olive oil. Remove the artichokes from
the oven, discard the foil and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan
over the top. Then sprinkle the flavored bread crumbs over
the Parmesan. Use up all the bread crumbs. Bake in the oven
for about15 minutes until the bread crumbs are golden. If
you’re in a pokey pokey kind of mood you can poke the
artichokes about a bit so some of the bread crumbs fall underneath
them. This makes it look more rustic instead of like a crumble.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
From: Food TV Recipes: www.foodtv.com
For more Jerusalem artichoke recipes, also check out these
websites and do a search:
www.epicurious.com
www.fooddownunder.com
www.foodtv.com
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