By Lyn Potter
If you would like to serve something different and trendy for Bastille Day this year look no further than the humble Jerusalem artichoke.
In France they call this little knobbly root vegetable Topanimbour. Sadly it became unpopular as a result of World War Two when German troops requisitioned the potato crops but let country people keep their Jerusalem artichokes. They mistakenly thought they were animal fodder. Many a French family had to rely on them to stave off their hunger so by the end of the war they were heartily sick of them.
But chefs are now putting them on restaurant menus and what is essentially peasant fare is being transformed into haute cuisine. It’s good to see as they are
- Healthy: They are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and iron. They are also low in calories (only 35 per 100 grams).
- Versatile: They can be roasted, boiled, fried/steamed or microwaved and used in many different dishes such as mash, soups, or part of a roasted vegetable platter.
- Tasty: Under the skin the flesh is white and the flavour earthy and sweet.
The Jerusalem artichoke is not related to the globe artichoke. It is actually a kind of sunflower which produces underground tubers. It’s surprising not more are grown locally. They are easy to cultivate as they are happy in both sun and shade and can be grown in a wide range of soils.
I’m sure demand would increase if more people had the opportunity to buy and taste them but they are hard to track down. I was lucky to find some in the Art of Produce in Grey Lynn, and some farmers markets also have them.
My Jerusalem artichoke soufflé was inspired by a Yotam Ottolenghi’ s Jerusalem artichoke and goat's cheese soufflé.
I like the way he has married the artichoke flavours with those of lemon, chili, thyme and feta cheese.
Yotam Ottolenghi grinds walnuts into a flour to line his soufflé dishes but I stirred the walnuts through the mixture to add some crunch .I also added a handful of finely sliced mushrooms which go well with the earthy taste of the chokes.
The worst part was peeling them. I worked my sharpest little paring knife tortuously around the knobbly roots and cut one finger in the process but soldiered on. The peeled lumps were immediately dropped into a bowl of water into which some lemon juice had been stirred. The Jerusalem artichoke discolours easily so if this is not done the surface will turn an unpleasant brown.
As it baked the soufflé rose impressively above the rims. Once baked, like all soufflés it had to be eaten at once. It turned out to be a warming tasty dish in which all the flavours mingled harmoniously with the earthy, sweet Jerusalem artichokes.
On Bastille Day I’ll serve this soufflé with a green salad. Some toasted bread dribbled with a little olive oil would go well alongside.
Bon appétit!
Jerusalem artichoke Soufflé
Ingredients:
300 grams of Jerusalem artichokes
3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
250 ml of milk
3 eggs (separated)
125 gm feta cheese
½ cup of walnut pieces.
A pinch of chili flakes
2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
½ cup of finely sliced mushrooms
A sprig of fresh thyme finely chopped.
Method
Peel the artichokes. Cut into smaller pieces and drop immediately into a bowl of water to which the juice of ½ lemons has been added.
Drain off all but a couple of tablespoons of the liquid before microwaving them for about 10 minutes in a covered container until fork tender.
Reduce to a puree by whizzing them in a food processor.
Make a white sauce with the flour, butter and milk.
Mix the Jerusalem artichoke puree, the cooled white sauce, the egg yolks, chili flakes, lemon rind, walnuts, parsley and thyme together.
Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Lightly mix a couple of spoonfuls of egg white into the other ingredients.
Now fold all the remaining egg whites in with a metal spoon, lifting rather than stirring to keep the mixture light and aerated.
Spoon into small buttered soufflé dishes (1/2 cup).
Bake for about 15 minutes at 200C until the tops are golden brown and they are well risen.
Eat at once (before they start to collapse).
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