Small and gnarled, Jerusalem artichokes present a puzzle for most cooks. What do you do with them? Do you spend hours carefully peeling them to yield a few cupfuls of a smooth, sweet French- style puree? Or do you peel them and then slice them paper-thin on a mandoline (watch those fingers!) and fry them into delicate little chips?
Until Chris MacGillivray, my talented chef de cuisine at Olivea, showed me this recipe, I didn’t realize you could work with the little tuber-like vegetables without peeling them or that you could eat them raw.
Jerusalem artichokes, which are a member of the sunflower family, are a chef’s ingredient. Expensive, difficult to find and labor-intensive, they have a delicate flavor slightly reminiscent of artichokes. In a puree they match well with brown butter, or, on the cusp of spring, with English peas. They are often paired with fish, though at Olivea, Chris uses them to garnish a dish of braised pork cheeks.
This salad is a wonderful introduction to this little-known vegetable. Eaten raw, Jerusalem artichokes are sweet, crunchy and juicy — more like a water chestnut than anything else. Combined with mildly spicy pickled Fresno chiles, refreshing mint, citrusy coriander seeds, peppery arugula and tangy, rich pecorino, they wake up the palate. When Chris served me this salad, I enjoyed it so much, I immediately ordered another one.
John Broening cooks at Duo and Olivea restaurants in Denver.
Salad of Jerusalem Artichokes With Arugula, Mint, Pickled Chiles and Pecorino
Serves 4.
Ingredients
1/4 pound organic arugula, preferably Earthbound Farms
8 Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and shaved paper- thin
16 mint leaves
4 tablespoons Pickled Fresno Chiles (recipe follows)
2 teaspoons pickled coriander seed, strained from Pickled Fresno Chiles
1/4 cup grated pecorino
4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Place arugula, Jerusalem artichokes, mint, pickled chiles, coriander seed and grated pecorino in a bowl. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning, and serve immediately.
Pickled Fresno Chiles
Makes about 2 cups.
Ingredients
1 cup distilled vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 pound red Fresno chiles, rinsed and sliced into 1/4-inch rings
Directions
Bring vinegar, sugar, water, salt and coriander seeds to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Add chiles and simmer another 5 minutes. Cool in liquid. Refrigerate until ready to use.
