Cooking Sunchokes

Steve Wertz said:

I've never had sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) before, so what's
the best way to experience these for a first timer?

They look like a PITA to peel. Are the skins edible (depending
on how I cook them)?

Use as I would any potato? The recipes I see are demolishing
these things tastewise. I'd like to be able to taste them for
myself. Can I just slice and pan fry in olive oil/butter?

I cut them up and fry them like chips🙂 (UK chips that is)

Steve Wertz said:

I've never had sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) before, so what's
the best way to experience these for a first timer?

They look like a PITA to peel. Are the skins edible (depending
on how I cook them)?

Yes.

Quoted message said:

Use as I would any potato? The recipes I see are demolishing
these things tastewise. I'd like to be able to taste them for
myself. Can I just slice and pan fry in olive oil/butter?

You can treat them like a potato, except that they have
a strong vegetable flavor which is lacking in the potato.

I never eat them because nothing gives me gas
worse than Jerusalem artichokes.

Steve Wertz said:

I've never had sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) before, so what's
the best way to experience these for a first timer?

They look like a PITA to peel. Are the skins edible (depending
on how I cook them)?

Use as I would any potato? The recipes I see are demolishing
these things tastewise. I'd like to be able to taste them for
myself. Can I just slice and pan fry in olive oil/butter?

-sw

Yes, just scrub them very good, slice then and then pan fry. If they
affect you like they do most people be prepared for a great deal of
flatulence. They're another gift from the Native Americans to the Europeans.

George

Steve Wertz said:

I've never had sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) before, so what's
the best way to experience these for a first timer?

They look like a PITA to peel. Are the skins edible (depending
on how I cook them)?

Use as I would any potato? The recipes I see are demolishing
these things tastewise. I'd like to be able to taste them for
myself. Can I just slice and pan fry in olive oil/butter?

Why not? I just lightly steam, butter them and eat.
Did you find these web sites?
http://tinyurl.com/2fts6a
http://tinyurl.com/2l539z

--

A husband is someone who takes out the trash and gives the impression he just cleaned the whole house.

Steve Wertz said:

I've never had sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) before, so what's
the best way to experience these for a first timer?

They look like a PITA to peel. Are the skins edible (depending
on how I cook them)?

Use as I would any potato? The recipes I see are demolishing
these things tastewise. I'd like to be able to taste them for
myself. Can I just slice and pan fry in olive oil/butter?

Do yourself a favour, throw them in the compost right now.
They don't have much in the way of pleasant flavour no matter how you
prepare them. If you eat them, you'll be a social outcast for at least
the next 48 hours.

Ross.

George Shirley said:

Yes, just scrub them very good, slice then and then pan fry. If they
affect you like they do most people be prepared for a great deal of
flatulence. They're another gift from the Native Americans to the Europeans.

Really? I had no idea they did that... but dried beans don't do me in
either. Well, there's always Beano.

--

A husband is someone who takes out the trash and gives the impression he just cleaned the whole house.

Quoted message said:

Do yourself a favour, throw them in the compost right now.
They don't have much in the way of pleasant flavour no matter how you
prepare them. If you eat them, you'll be a social outcast for at least
the next 48 hours.

Instead of composting, plant them... they have pretty flowers.

--

A husband is someone who takes out the trash and gives the impression he just cleaned the whole house.

sf said:

Quoted message said:

Do yourself a favour, throw them in the compost right now.
They don't have much in the way of pleasant flavour no matter how you
prepare them. If you eat them, you'll be a social outcast for at least
the next 48 hours.

Instead of composting, plant them... they have pretty flowers.

No, no, don't plant them. I've a patch I've been trying to eradicate for
several years. If one tiny little root makes it you have a whole patch
growing again. I've sieved the dirt with quarter inch hardware cloth and
am contemplating just digging down a foot and disposing of dirt, roots
and all. They can be a invasive pest in amenable climates. Take warning.

George

sf said:

Why not? I just lightly steam, butter them and eat.
Did you find these web sites?
http://tinyurl.com/2fts6a
http://tinyurl.com/2l539z

The first site was especially interesting, and the second told me
how long to expect to simmer them - well, kinda.

I'll probably [try and peel] simmer, slice, and saute briefly -
maybe with a little Romano on top.

-sw

On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:50:07 -0400, [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

If you eat them, you'll be a social outcast for at least
the next 48 hours.

Yeah, like *that* really worries me.

-sw

George Shirley said:

sf said:

On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:50:07 -0400, [email hidden] wrote:

Instead of composting, plant them... they have pretty flowers.

No, no, don't plant them. I've a patch I've been trying to eradicate for
several years. If one tiny little root makes it you have a whole patch
growing again. I've sieved the dirt with quarter inch hardware cloth and
am contemplating just digging down a foot and disposing of dirt, roots
and all. They can be a invasive pest in amenable climates. Take warning.

My lilies are like that. I dig out bags full of tubers every five
years or so and throw away what amounts to hundreds of dollars if I
bought them at the nursery. However, they are back as thick as ever
in a couple of years.

--

A husband is someone who takes out the trash and gives the impression he just cleaned the whole house.

sf said:

Quoted message said:

Do yourself a favour, throw them in the compost right now.
They don't have much in the way of pleasant flavour no matter how you
prepare them. If you eat them, you'll be a social outcast for at least
the next 48 hours.

Instead of composting, plant them... they have pretty flowers.

You'll be sorry if you do. You will NEVER get rid of them.

Ross.

Steve Wertz said:

On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 17:50:07 -0400, [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

If you eat them, you'll be a social outcast for at least
the next 48 hours.

Yeah, like *that* really worries me.

Quoting from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke

The carbohydrates give the tubers a tendency to become
very soft and mushy if boiled, so it is, as with most
vegetables, best to steam them lightly to preserve
their texture. The inulin is not well digested by some
people, leading to the misconception that sunchokes
are not edible, or a mistaken assumption that they
cause flatulence and gastric pain. The source cited
for this is Gerard's Herbal from 1621 which quotes
the English planter John Goodyer: "which way soever
they be dressed and eaten, they stir and cause a
filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body,
thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented,
and are a meat more fit for swine than men."

Steve Wertz said:

I've never had sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) before, so what's
the best way to experience these for a first timer?

They look like a PITA to peel. Are the skins edible (depending
on how I cook them)?

Use as I would any potato? The recipes I see are demolishing
these things tastewise. I'd like to be able to taste them for
myself. Can I just slice and pan fry in olive oil/butter?

-sw

Just on topic for me today -- a local tv cooking show demonstrated
what looked to be a beautiful winter soup using JA's, topped with
sauted scallops and apple shreds.
Yesterday I went out looking for JA's at my local outside farmers
market. As it would happen, none to be found. [...don't you hate that,
just when you are determined to cook something specific?] Instead,
I purchased two celeriac roots - another vegetable I had been wanting
to try. I used the same recipe (here below) including the scallop and
apple and it was SENSATIONAL! Looked straight out of a 5*
restaurant.
I was interested in the comments about flatulence etc. so will watch
for that as I plan to find some JA's sometime soon.

Bronwyn
Oz

Here's the recipe I used:

JERUSALE, ARTICHOKE SOUP
(COULD USE CELERIAC ROOT)
Ingredients
Serves 2 as a meal

400g Jerusalem artichokes well scrubbed & sliced (not peeled)
50g unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
juice of 1/2 a lemon
500ml chicken stock

6 large scallops without roe removed
40g unsalted butter
1 pink lady apple
splash of evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
squeeze of lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs of chervil to serve
Method
Wash & scrub the Jerusalem artichokes very well and then slice fairly
thickly into rounds. Heat the butter in a large pot and once melted
add the artichokes. Continue to cook over a medium to high heat so
that the artichokes caramelise slightly. Add the stock, thyme, lemon
zest & sea salt.
Continue to cook until the artichokes are very tender, allow to cool
slightly and processing with in a blender until smooth, adding the
lemon juice and adjusting the seasoning if necessary.
Just before serving slice the apple lengthways into thin rounds, being
careful not to cut into the core. Stack a few slices together on a
chopping board and then slice them into matchsticks, place in a small
bowl, add a splash of evoo sea salt, freshly ground black pepper & a
squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside until the scallops are cooked.

Place the scallops onto paper towel and dry them thoroughly on both
sides - this will ensure that the scallops caramelise without stewing.
Season with salt and pepper, heat the butter in a large frying pan and
when foaming add the scallops. The scallops will only take a minute or
so to cook on each side (depending on their size), they should still
be springy in the centre and only just cooked. Once cooked remove from
the pan immediately, but keep the butter that they were cooked in.

Divide the soup between two large soup bowls, divide the apple
matchsticks and place in the centre of the soup bowls, then add 3
scallops on top of the apple sticks. Drizzle a little of the butter
that the scallops were cooked in around each bowl, top with a sprig of
chervil, a squeeze of lemon juice and serve immediately.

Celeriac soup - add dried mushrooms soaked in hot water.

Steve Wertz said:

Use as I would any potato? The recipes I see are demolishing
these things tastewise. I'd like to be able to taste them for
myself. Can I just slice and pan fry in olive oil/butter?

Thanks for the info, folks. These were pretty good. Raw, they
tasted much like jicima.

When peeled of blemishes, sliced, blanched for 12 minutes and
sauteed in butter with some salt and still slightly crisp, they
took on a whole new flavor: still a little sweet like a water
chestnut, and unusually savory, not vegetatably or tuberish at
all.

http://i11.tinypic.com/62r876o.jpg

-sw

Steve said:

Thanks for the info, folks. These were pretty good. Raw, they
tasted much like jicima.

When peeled of blemishes, sliced, blanched for 12 minutes and
sauteed in butter with some salt and still slightly crisp, they
took on a whole new flavor: still a little sweet like a water
chestnut, and unusually savory, not vegetatably or tuberish at
all.

http://i11.tinypic.com/62r876o.jpg

Pretty pic! Did you experience any of the dreaded aftereffects?

I'm coming into this thread too late, but I posted a recipe for a
chicken-sunchoke soup not all that long ago:

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/8878ac31b3691599

Bob

Bob Terwilliger said:

Steve said:

http://i11.tinypic.com/62r876o.jpg

Pretty pic! Did you experience any of the dreaded aftereffects?

It's kinda hard to tell since I'm also taking psyllium husks
because of some medication I'm taking. And that does it to you,
too.

Quoted message said:

I'm coming into this thread too late, but I posted a recipe for a
chicken-sunchoke soup not all that long ago:

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/8878ac31b3691599

I'll be buying more of these when the price is right. I can also
dig them up if can find them - I believe these are what grow
across the creek from me. Somebody said you have to mark them
before they die so you know where to dig.

-sw

Steve Wertz said:

Bob Terwilliger said:

Pretty pic! Did you experience any of the dreaded aftereffects?

It's kinda hard to tell since I'm also taking psyllium husks
because of some medication I'm taking. And that does it to you,
too.

That reminds me -- opiates slow down passage of stuff
through the intestines. In combination with Jerusalem
artichokes, that can evolve gas which has difficulty
escaping. Could be painful. Better you than me. :-)

Mark Thorson said:

Steve Wertz said:

It's kinda hard to tell since I'm also taking psyllium husks
because of some medication I'm taking. And that does it to you,
too.

That reminds me -- opiates slow down passage of stuff
through the intestines. In combination with Jerusalem
artichokes, that can evolve gas which has difficulty
escaping. Could be painful. Better you than me. :-)

Yep. I learned that a couple weeks ago about the opiates, so I'm
taking precautions this time - I started the psyllium a few days
early. So far everything is "going fine". I do have a bottle of
magnesium citrate as a last resort.

And that's all I have to say about that.

ObFood: Anybody know what I should do with these next?
http://i10.tinypic.com/6fqh0y1.jpg
They were $.49/lb and firm. I just couldn't resist.

-sw