If you saw these tubers in the store, or even just sitting on a counter in someone's kitchen, would you be able to identify them? Truthfully these Jerusalem artichokes only slightly resemble the ones usually for sale so I was quite surprised by their truly fascinating look. in past years they have only consisted of the middle section, (see my previous post with photo here) without those little fingers, and so they weren't nearly as photogenic! When I served Jerusalem artichoke with my standard Moroccan meat with tumeric and celery last shabbat, most of the guests just assumed that those oblong yellow things on the platter were potatoes, and when I brought out these to show them what the raw version looks like there were many wide eyes at the table.
Jerusalem artichokes (a.k.a. sunchokes) are a solid starch with a delicate, artichoke-like flavor. Not that they are related to artichokes: the name apparently came to be from girasole, the Italian word for sunflowers (which the plants resemble). English speakers turned that into “Jersualem,” and then added “artichoke” at the end to account for the similarity of flavor. “Sunchoke,” too, was invented by a farmer in the ’60s who wanted to make the tuber sound more appealing.
Okay, so they are delicious and interesting and healthy (but don't eat them raw, they reportedly do a number on your gut) how should you prepare them? Truthfully, though I am not eating meat at the moment, the most delicious way to serve them is cooked together in a pot as part of a slow roasted chicken or meat dish, such that the artichokes soak up some of the flavor of the meat. Check out my Jerusalem Artichoke With Moroccan Yellow Chicken recipe to experience this culinary delight!W
When I cooked Jerusalme Artichoke in a pot on a bed of celery and garlic, with some tumeric, they were also tasty, maybe not quite as tasty, but if you add some nice olive oil that might do the trick.
Note; To prepare the Jerusalem artichokes for cooking they must be peeled, which is quite a labor intensive process which I do with a vegetable peeler. Not complaining though as this root is only available for a few months here in Israel and we view it as a seasonal treat.
