See these humble little roots? I just can't believe they haven't been a part of our lives until now. I'm always looking for something to add to my simple Moroccan yellow chicken recipe, that we eat almost every Shabbat, on Friday night, and this one is beyond delicious! But what is it you ask? It's Jerusalem artichoke, known by some as the Moroccan potato. And yes, it tastes just like artichoke hearts, or maybe even better, yummm, double yumm.
Follow the recipe for the Moroccan yellow chicken here, (incase you missed the same link above) and at the end, add the whole but pealed Jerusalem artichokes to the pot and add enough water to just cover them. I even moved the chicken around so that some of the artichokes were actually under the chicken, so as to avoid adding too much water. Bring liquid in the pot to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until tender.
Interestingly enough, I looked up this little root in google, and learned that the Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), also called the sunroot, sunchoke, earth apple or topinambur, is actually a species of sunflower, native to the eastern US, from Maine to North Dakota and in the south to Northern Florida and Texas! You hear that all you lovely Texas readers? The other important info to note is that it cooks very quickly so don't cook it too long without checking its tenderness, and for your first time eat a small amount as it can give gas and digestive problems to some, though our family appears to have no problems, fortunately. And if you're interested so do a search for more recipes, as it can also be eaten raw!
The plant has a weedlike look but is tall with yellow flowers....if I ever have that garden of my dreams with plenty of space, I will plant some of these no questions asked! But in the meantime, we'll enjoy buying them when in season (now) from our local vegetable merchant. Enjoy and let me know about your experiences with Jerusalem artichoke!
