Baked Jerusalem Artichokes

It may be extremely hard to see from the poor picture I took that this dish is a kind of casserole with jerusalem artichokes. But I badly wanted to blog about them because I just discovered them and, oh my, they are so delicious! I believe they have a hint of an apple taste I adore.

Jerusalem artichokes, also called sunchokes, are the tuber of a variety of perennial flower in the aster family. They have a texture similar to the one of potatoes. Even though they originate from North American, they are now more cultivated in Europe. They were widely eaten During World War 2 and hence their reputation as a poor man's vegetable.

The jerusalem artichokes don't stay fresh a long time. It is better to eat them within the first 2 days you get them. They also have a side effect that can be intimidating: they can cause flatulence. To avoid it, it is better to blanch them in their jacket before cooking them.

Back to the recipe now. When I stumbled on this Baked Jerusalem Artichokes recipe from Morsels & Musings, it sounded very calorific but, oh, so delicious! And to make it even more calorific, I substituted half of the whipped cream with crème fraîche. Don't say it to my doctor. But the tons of calories were each worth it. The creaminess of the 2 creams paired very well with the jerusalem artichokes!

Ingredients

125 mL whipped cream
125 mL crème fraîche
Juice of one lemon
2 garlic cloves, chopped
375 mL fresh parmesan (or to taste)
80 mL fresh thyme (or to taste)
1 kg jerusalem artichoke; blanched, peeled and sliced
300 mL fresh breadcrumbs
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.
2. Mix cream, crème fraîche, lemon juice, garlic, half the thyme and 2/3 of the parmesan in a medium bowl.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Throw in the jerusalem artichoke and mix well.
5. Place the mixture in a greased 9-inch baking pan.
6. Top with the breadcrumbs and the remaining thyme and parmesan.
7. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the jerusalem artichokes are tender and the breadcrumbs golden.

Makes 4 to 6 portions.

Source: Sunchoke History
Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Bacon from Chocolate and Zucchini