Occasionally, a dish idea strikes me so intensely that I am compelled to purchase new plates for its presentation. This is a surefire sign that it will be featured on my blog. I have taken ordinary ingredients and, as the hosts of cooking reality shows often say, “elevated” them in this dish. This is one of the joys of cooking – transforming basic ingredients into stunning culinary masterpieces.
Ever Heard of a Sunchoke?
Hang around me too long and I am sure to start asking you about food. I won’t tell you how many people I have interrogated this week, berating questions at them like “have you ever heard of a sunchoke? No!? What about a Jerusalem artichoke?” The general consensus from my interrogation victims is that they indeed have never heard of either.
First of all, sunchoke and Jerusalem artichokes are the same thing. Use them interchangeably as I will in this post. Sunchoke when I’m feeling whimsy (often) and Jerusalem artichoke when I’m feeling fancy. Why am I the way I am? Anywho, these tiny little root vegetables are common in North American gardens. At first glance, they look like just like a ginger root. As a member of the sunflower plant family, these plants also flourish into beautiful gardens. (Shout of the my friend Jessicas garden and my first sunchoke harvest.)
Preparing Jerusalem Artichokes
As a root vegetable, Jerusalem artichokes can be prepared a variety of ways. In this recipe we will softly boil them, cool them in ice water, then pan fry in a cast iron until crispy. However, if you’re feeling creative, why don’t you try out some of these other methods?
- Roasted in the oven
- Boiled and pureed in a soup
- Sliced and air fried into chips
- Boiled and seasoned
- Boiled, smashed, then fan fried (like in this recipe!)
Tips for Smashed Jerusalem Artichokes
- I recommend leaving the skins on these root vegetables! They taste great and add to the rustic charm and presentation of this dish.
- Boil the sunchokes, but do not over boil them because they will turn mushy. Anywhere from about 8-10 minutes depending on how big they are. A fork should be able to pierce them.
- After boiling, bathe in ice water until completely cooled. If they are not completely cooled they will continue to internally cook and become mushy.
- Pat completely dry before smashing and frying them or they will become mushy.
- Wait to season them until you begin the frying process. The seasonings with adhere better with the frying oil.
- Use a cooling rack to rest them on after frying, to prevent soggy bottoms.
- DO NOT SKIP A SAUCE!!! If you do choose a different sauce then the one in this recipe, may I recommend a sour cream based one?! Yum.
Recipes like this ignite the fire in me for cooking beautiful plant based dishes. Food is so much more beautiful when you know it’s coming from a place of kindness. What you put into your body comes back around, it fuels your body and your mind. It quite literally shapes your entire world, and I believe that with every ounce of myself.
Ingredients
Smashed Jerusalem Artichokes
- 15 Jerusalem Artichokes (aka Sunchokes)
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- Thyme Powder (or fresh) to taste
- Garlic Powder to taste
- Frying Oil I used canola
Lemon Caper Aioli
- 2 Garlic Bulbs
- Lemon Juice a generous squeeze
- 1 tbsp Capers
- 1/2 tbsp Caper Brine
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Plant Mayo
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
Smashed Jerusalem Artichokes
- Boil sunchokes in salt water until tender- about 8-10 minutes.
- Immediately place in ice water bath until completely cooled.
- Pat dry completely and gently smash each sunchoke with a spatula.
- Pan fry in cooking oil over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side or until crispy. Sprinkle with seasonings while frying.
- Allow to cool on cooling rack.
Lemon Caper Aioli
- Cut top off garlic bulbs (leave peels on), wrap in tinfoil, and roast in oven for 40 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Allow garlic to cool and squeeze out of peel.
- Using a mortar and pestle, smash all ingredients together until creamy.
- Chill in refrigerator.Serve: Over a bed of fresh arugula or other green for the perfect bite.Garnish: Top with some fresh capers or even some dill.
Instructions
Smashed Jerusalem Artichokes
1. Boil sunchokes in salt water until tender- about 8-10 minutes.
2. Immediately place in ice water bath until completely cooled.
3. Pat dry completely and gently smash each sunchoke with a spatula.
4. Pan fry in cooking oil over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side or until crispy. Sprinkle with seasonings while frying.
5. Allow to cool on cooling rack.
Lemon Caper Aioli
1. Cut top off garlic bulbs (leave peels on), wrap in tinfoil, and roast in oven for 40 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Allow garlic to cool and squeeze out of peel.
3. Using a mortar and pestle, smash all ingredients together until creamy.
4. Chill in refrigerator.
Serve: Over a bed of fresh arugula or other green for the perfect bite.
Garnish: Top with some fresh capers or even some dill.
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