It's a Mystery; Sunchokes.
 by Kendra Celeste Hughes
 Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
 New York, NY
 Views: 11,183

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When I first started cooking as a young girl, I would stick to the basics: mac and cheese, chocolate chip cookies, pizza with Boboli crusts, and my mom's meatloaf – with mom conducting the strange symphony of dumping, mixing and laughing until it all entered the oven. As I matured, I turned to recipe books and magazines, always passing over recipes with anything abstract in the title. What the heck is broccoli rabe? A parsnip? No thanks. Celeriac? Sounds like a piece of celery with issues. But I eventually got bored with my limited culinary knowledge and I decided it was time to venture out, explore, and demystify the mystifying foods all the gourmets seemed to love. I was tired of feeling like I was missing out.

Culinary school took a lot of the mystery out of certain foods. I learned, hands on, where different cuts of meat come from and that there's actually a method to the madness of choosing different cuts for different cooking methods. (A topic for another column!) I learned how to make my own bacon; I learned what duck confit is and how to make it. I learned the difference between a dice, a brunoise, a julienne and a mince. I also learned that those "I have to taste the pastry cream again to make sure it's still good!" calories really do count. Still I didn't, by any means, learn it all. So I continue to challenge myself by choosing the recipe that looks the scariest and having at it.

One of my favorite discoveries is the sunchoke, also known as the Jerusalem artichoke. If you already have experience with these knobby crunchers, that's great. But for the rest of us, here's the lowdown:
they're tubers
they can be large or small
they look like a cross between a potato and fresh ginger root
they have a similar texture to a raw Russet Potato


Sunchokes are sweet and slightly nutty, are rich in iron, potassium and thiamine, and can be served either raw or cooked. I love them because they're juicy and crisp. They're wonderful in salads like the one below because they add a great crunch and tend to soak up the dressing. Although I chose to shave the sunchokes in this recipe, they can also be pureed, mashed, chopped – you name it! So the next time you want to skip over a recipe just because you don't know what something is, challenge yourself! Ten years ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about the recipe below. If you're at a loss to what something is, Go to epicurious.com or foodtv.com and find out! You'll be glad you did. And your friends, neighbors and maybe even your kids will be impressed.

Shaved Sunchoke and Arugula Salad:

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 pound Sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced shallot

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 bunch arugula

¾ cups parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sunchokes and simmer for three minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water. (No need to peel them since we're slicing them so thin)

2. Using a mandoline (be careful!) or a very sharp knife, or a vegetable peeler in a pinch, very thinly slice the sunchokes.

3. Transfer to a large bowl and add the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, shallot and parsley and toss the ingredients together. Add the arugula and half the cheese and toss again. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and eat!

Busy parents' tip: You can make this all ahead of time. Just keep the lettuce and the sunchoke mixture separate until you're ready to serve. Also, bring the sunchoke mixture to room temperature for 10-20 minutes before assembling the salad – it allows the dressing to disburse better.

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Last updated by Kendra Celeste Hughes - Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 -  New York, NY