Here I am with a new recipe which is actually my partner’s recipe! Yes, he is a man who can cook! And when he does, it is delightful.

Please do remember: #NotaFoodBlogger 😉

And beware:

I’ve managed to sneak in an affiliated link! If you decide to make a purchase, I might get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A little introduction of the Jerusalem artichokes

Let’s get something straight. Jerusalem artichokes are not, in anyway, related to Jerusalem and are even not artichoke! In fact they are tubers which are hidden underneath a tall plant, crowned by beautiful yellow flowers. Most importantly they come from South America. How did get they get such a name? My digging through internet did not bring a satisfactory answer and our curiosity shall be left whole, for the moment.

What do they taste like you may ask? Some say they taste like artichoke (yes, this partly explains the name), it’s kind of true as they share a similar nutty flavor but this isn’t a complete and fair comparison of their deliciousness.

Nutty, a little earthy but sweet and bitter at the same time, Jerusalem artichokes are a delight for the adventurous & demanding palates.

Depending on the cooking method, they can become incredibly smooth or remain crunchy. Alone or mixed with other vegetables, they will bring their surprising flavor to the table!

Jerusalem artichokes are amongst the forgotten vegetables

Jerusalem artichokes are one of those unlucky vegetables that were all rage when discovered by Westerners centuries ago, but eventually felt out of grace. One of the reason they ended up in this category is probably their shape which, admittedly, can make them hard to clean and even harder to peel. Well at least harder than a smooth potato.

The other reason might be linked to the next point…

Do Jerusalem artichoke make you fart?

Yes I had to go there! I couldn’t resist in fact!

When I typed Jerusalem artichoke in Google, this was the second most commonly asked question! So I giggled like a 5 years old!

The google answer is that they do have such a reputation and Wiki goes as far as talking about reported gastric pain.

My experience? Well, no!! …not really… maybe?! I’m a lady and would never resort to admitting to such practice, even to compare it to a whisper or a glittery unicorn’s laughter. Plus I gave up glitter when I realized how non-eco-friendly it is! So there you have my official answer. Do with it as you please!

Dear Jerusalem artichokes, life is unfair and I’m here to help you get back the good grace you once enjoyed. There is no reason for your existence and perfectness to continue to be ignored. You are delightful, pack with fibers, vitamins, minerals while not being full of starch, like the counterpart you are so often compared to. You are lovable and shall therefore be loved again!

Preparing and cooking Jerusalem artichoke

Jerusalem artichokes need to be tenderly but throughly cleaned which is best done with a brush and water. Soil will stick in every crease, so when you think you are done, give it another go!

Then it is up to you.

You can eat them raw, grated or thinly sliced like a carotte. I have not tried it yet but shall promptly oblige!

You can gently boil them but in which case, you should put them in cold water and gently bring them to a boil. This will prevent them from exploding. Boiling them will also make their skin fairly easy to peel. And boiling them will make you realize you didn’t clean them enough!

You can cut them in small chunk, peeled or unpeeled and toss them in a pan or the oven.

You can make soups and purées with them.

The ways you cook Jerusalem artichokes are only bound by the limits of your imagination!

My partner’s recipe: Jerusalem artichoke purée on a bed of sautéed mushroom

Yes, here is the recipe!

The purée

Cook an equal volume of Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes for the purée. You can also skip the potatoes, I’m not quite sure why he insist on mixing them.

Peel and mash them with a fork, into a delicious purée. You can leave some small bits un-mashed, it’s ok. Actually no, it’s better! Season lightly. There is no valid reason to add anything else, but sometimes he adds a pinch of cinnamon.

The sautéed mushrooms

In a pan, start the cooking with a generous serving of minced garlic and then add your mushrooms, sliced or not depending on the mushrooms you get your hands on. Fairy ring mushrooms are absolutely perfect  for this recipe but when all you can get are regular white mushrooms, do not despair… Just season accordingly. Parsley is always added when the mushrooms are almost cooked so it remains flavory!

Add a little bit of soy cream just before the cooking is done. Just enough to make it slightly creamy, although it is optional really.

Putting it all together

Lay your mushrooms on the bottom of a dish, top up with your Jerusalem artichoke purée and put in the oven for a little bit, to serve at the ideal temperature.

A more sophisticated way to serve this is by using cooking mold #affiliatedLink which is what my partner does when he wants to impress! (including for my dad but not just for me!)

The added proteins

The last time, my partner improvised on his own recipe and decided to add minced/ grated tofu to the mushrooms.

He used a firm but still kind of silken tofu which he broke down in small tiny bits. He added a dash of soy sauce and some seasoning and let it marinate before cooking it for a while. The result? grated/ shredded tofu bits, which were just a little crunchy, but still soft.

He added this mix to the mushroom a little before adding the cream and it went super well with the rest!

Rating

Deliciousness: 10/10

Level of difficulties: 0

Cooking tools used by my partner: all of the kitchen

Time spent by my partner in the kitchen: 2 hours! This shall, in no way, be considered as the real time required to handle such recipe

Time it will take me to clean the kitchen: probably 2 hours!

The truly annoying part

Now, I must tell you about the most annoying part about this and despite what is mentioned right above, it isn’t the cleaning, which admittedly comes close.

Let me spill my grievance: My dad loves this recipe! He can’t wait for my partner to come with me, in the hope that he will cook this. My dad even goes for a double serving, when he rarely does otherwise. He also talks about it often, to neighbors, family members and anyone willing to listen. So basically my partner looks like a chef!

Why is this so annoying?

Because in between sanding a tank, painting a bike’s fork, and rebuilding an engine, I always cook pretty good dishes and I never get to hear him talk about any of them. Yes, one may see here a mild form of jealousy and one may be right, but mostly I’m feeling slightly unrecognized!

Not a peep from my dad on my blueberry pies, how amazing my sorrel gratin is or how I managed to make him realize that purslane is a delight and he has gold in his garden. Not a word either on the various dishes I made with his chards, which he doesn’t touch otherwise.

The list goes on and the result is always the same: My partner’s Jerusalem artichokes come first and that is a definite proof that life can be delicious and unfair at the same time!

A small update here for the ones of you who wonder what the plant looks like. Well, here it is below! They are taller than me this year and not even fully grown! I will come back when they are in full bloom.