G'day mates,

I got a small sample of Jerusalem artichoke from a mate today and I've
never eaten it before, so I'm wondering at the best way to prepare and
cook the stuff.

I'd be interested to hear of your favourite methods for dealing with
the thing, be it a true blue Aussie approach or an ethnic American
way. (Or even Italian, Pandora. :-)

I might add that one bloke who also ended up with a sample decided the
best approach would be to plant it and see what grew! But I'm feeling
a little more adventurous than that, at least for the moment...

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID

In article >,
(Phred) wrote:

> G'day mates,
>
> I got a small sample of Jerusalem artichoke from a mate today and I've
> never eaten it before, so I'm wondering at the best way to prepare and
> cook the stuff.
>
> I'd be interested to hear of your favourite methods for dealing with
> the thing, be it a true blue Aussie approach or an ethnic American
> way. (Or even Italian, Pandora. :-)
>
> I might add that one bloke who also ended up with a sample decided the
> best approach would be to plant it and see what grew! But I'm feeling
> a little more adventurous than that, at least for the moment...
>
> Cheers, Phred.

They are excellent fixed any way you'd fix spuds.

Just don't serve them with beans. <G>
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

"Phred" > wrote in message
...
> G'day mates,
>
> I got a small sample of Jerusalem artichoke from a mate today and I've
> never eaten it before, so I'm wondering at the best way to prepare and
> cook the stuff.
>
> I'd be interested to hear of your favourite methods for dealing with
> the thing, be it a true blue Aussie approach or an ethnic American
> way. (Or even Italian, Pandora. :-)
>

They make fantastic soup. Cut it up into chunks, sweat in some olive oil,
then add your favourite stock or water and boil until it's cooked, and then
liquidise. Add your favourite other soup ingredients as appropriate.
Probably can't go wrong with adding some garlic at the very least.

Enjoy!

Adam

Phred wrote:

> G'day mates,
>
> I got a small sample of Jerusalem artichoke from a mate today and I've
> never eaten it before, so I'm wondering at the best way to prepare and
> cook the stuff.
>
> I'd be interested to hear of your favourite methods for dealing with
> the thing, be it a true blue Aussie approach or an ethnic American
> way. (Or even Italian, Pandora. :-)
>
> I might add that one bloke who also ended up with a sample decided the
> best approach would be to plant it and see what grew! But I'm feeling
> a little more adventurous than that, at least for the moment...
>
> Cheers, Phred.
>

Topinambours, girasole articocco, sun chokes or Jerusalem artichokes are
often used in Asian cuisine. Though often times served as a 'stand
alone' side dish, sometimes with carrots added they can also be mixid
with potatoes and cooked the same way, deep fried in batter or...

http://homecooking.about.com/od/appe.../r/blapp82.htm

Jerusalem artichokes take the place of starch in tasty and easy eggrolls.

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 pounds Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes), peeled
* 20 eggroll wrappers
* 1 ounce butter
* 5 ounces ham, chopped
* 6 shallots, thinly sliced
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 Tbsp chopped chives
* Salt and pepper
* 1 egg white, lightly beaten
* Canola oil for deep-frying

PREPARATION:
Simmer Jerusalem artichokes in salted water until al dente. Mince into
small bits. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat butter and add ham and shallots.

Saute about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute an additional 1 minute. Let
cool.

Add ham mixture to the Jerusalem artichokes along with chives, salt, and
pepper. Stir until combined.

Place about 1 tablespoon of filling on eggroll wrapper and roll up,
tucking in sides. Seal and glaze with egg white. Deep-fry until golden.

Yield: 4 servings
---
JL

On Wed, 10 May 2006 12:07:22 GMT, Phred wrote:

> G'day mates,
>
> I got a small sample of Jerusalem artichoke from a mate today and I've
> never eaten it before, so I'm wondering at the best way to prepare and
> cook the stuff.
>
> I'd be interested to hear of your favourite methods for dealing with
> the thing, be it a true blue Aussie approach or an ethnic American
> way. (Or even Italian, Pandora. :-)
>
> I might add that one bloke who also ended up with a sample decided the
> best approach would be to plant it and see what grew! But I'm feeling
> a little more adventurous than that, at least for the moment...
>
> Cheers, Phred.

I'm a plain jane... give them to me steamed with butter and I'm fine.
--

Ham and eggs.
A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Wed, 10 May 2006 12:07:22 GMT, Phred wrote:
>
> > G'day mates,
> >
> > I got a small sample of Jerusalem artichoke from a mate today and I've
> > never eaten it before, so I'm wondering at the best way to prepare and
> > cook the stuff.
> >
> > I'd be interested to hear of your favourite methods for dealing with
> > the thing, be it a true blue Aussie approach or an ethnic American
> > way. (Or even Italian, Pandora. :-)
> >
> > I might add that one bloke who also ended up with a sample decided the
> > best approach would be to plant it and see what grew! But I'm feeling
> > a little more adventurous than that, at least for the moment...
> >
> > Cheers, Phred.
>
> I'm a plain jane... give them to me steamed with butter and I'm fine.

I'll second that. :-)
Or sliced and fried like fried spuds.
--
Peace!
Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch"
-- Jack Nicholson

Phred wrote:

> I got a small sample of Jerusalem artichoke from a mate today and I've
> never eaten it before, so I'm wondering at the best way to prepare and
> cook the stuff.
>
> I'd be interested to hear of your favourite methods for dealing with
> the thing, be it a true blue Aussie approach or an ethnic American
> way. (Or even Italian, Pandora. :-)

I've posted this recipe a couple times here.

Chicken-Sunchoke Soup


Raw back, neck, and giblets from a butterflied chicken
Olive oil (NOT extra-virgin)
Carcass from a roasted butterflied chicken
2 medium onions
3 cups chicken stock
3 medium potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
5 medium sunchokes
1 1/2 cups soymilk
Salt
White pepper
juice from one lemon


If the chicken carcass still has meat on it, pull the meat off and set it
aside.


Start heating a soup pot over medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to coat
the bottom, and add the raw chicken pieces and giblets. (Chop up the back if
it doesn't fit in the pan.)


While the chicken pieces are browning, chop the onions, and add them to the
pot. Sprinkle with some salt, but not too much.


Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are well past
translucent, then add the chicken carcass and the chicken stock.


Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes to develop the flavors. While it's
cooking, peel and quarter the potatoes. Add them to the stock and continue
cooking until the potatoes are tender all the way through, about 20 minutes.
Strain the stock through a colander, pick out the potatoes, and add them to
the strained stock. Then press down on the solids in the colander to squeeze
out all the goodness from the bones and giblets. Puree the soup, either with
a stick blender or a "normal" blender, working in batches if necessary.
Return the soup to the stove and lower the heat to "low."


Peel the sunchokes, halve them lengthwise, then cut them into slices. The
slices shouldn't be too thin; I made them about twice as thick as a nickel.
Add the sunchokes to the soup and cook for about 30 minutes.


Stir in the soymilk and just heat through. If you set aside meat from the
carcass, add it in now. Add the lemon juice, and then season to taste with
salt and white pepper.

Phred wrote:

>G'day mates,
>
>I got a small sample of Jerusalem artichoke from a mate today and I've
>never eaten it before, so I'm wondering at the best way to prepare and
>cook the stuff.
>
>I'd be interested to hear of your favourite methods for dealing with
>the thing, be it a true blue Aussie approach or an ethnic American
>way. (Or even Italian, Pandora. :-)
>
>I might add that one bloke who also ended up with a sample decided the
>best approach would be to plant it and see what grew! But I'm feeling
>a little more adventurous than that, at least for the moment...
>
>Cheers, Phred.
>
>
>
I have been known to make soup - Jane Grigson gives a good recipe in her
Vegetable Book - but they're more bother than they're worth. By the time
you've peeled the damn things you've expended more kilojoules than
you're going to ingest.

They are very rich, and worse than beans for provoking wind.

Christine

sf > wrote in
:

> I'm a plain jane... give them to me steamed with butter and I'm fine.

Same here but Mom served up clarified butter for dipping.

Personally? I'd like to see the artichoke evolve into more heart, less
leaves.

Imho,

Andy

In article >, Old Mother Ashby > wrote:
>Phred wrote:
>>G'day mates,
>>
>>I got a small sample of Jerusalem artichoke from a mate today and I've
>>never eaten it before, so I'm wondering at the best way to prepare and
>>cook the stuff.
>>
>>I'd be interested to hear of your favourite methods for dealing with
>>the thing, be it a true blue Aussie approach or an ethnic American
>>way. (Or even Italian, Pandora. :-)
>>
>>I might add that one bloke who also ended up with a sample decided the
>>best approach would be to plant it and see what grew! But I'm feeling
>>a little more adventurous than that, at least for the moment...
>>
>I have been known to make soup - Jane Grigson gives a good recipe in her
>Vegetable Book - but they're more bother than they're worth. By the time
>you've peeled the damn things you've expended more kilojoules than
>you're going to ingest.

I think I agree with that. In fact, it's the main reason the bloke I
mentioned above decided to grow the things rather than eat them!
Soup's probably the way to go -- less worry about the appeal of the
final "texture" of all those fiddly little pieces.

>They are very rich, and worse than beans for provoking wind.

There appears to be universal agreement on that point -- I wonder if
anyone has tried them *with* beans! :-)

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID

"Andy" <q> wrote in message ...

> Personally? I'd like to see the artichoke evolve into more heart, less
> leaves.
>

Aren't you thinking of globe artichokes? Jerusalem artichokes are the ones
that look like potatoes.

Adam

"Adam" > wrote in
:

>
> "Andy" <q> wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Personally? I'd like to see the artichoke evolve into more heart,
>> less leaves.
>>
>
> Aren't you thinking of globe artichokes? Jerusalem artichokes are the
> ones that look like potatoes.
>
> Adam


Adam,

Yep. That's a new one! Thanks for the FYI! I read all about them.

Andy

In article >,
(Phred) wrote:

> >I have been known to make soup - Jane Grigson gives a good recipe in her
> >Vegetable Book - but they're more bother than they're worth. By the time
> >you've peeled the damn things you've expended more kilojoules than
> >you're going to ingest.

Depends. If you grow your own, you can just pick out the fat ones to use.

> I think I agree with that. In fact, it's the main reason the bloke I
> mentioned above decided to grow the things rather than eat them!
> Soup's probably the way to go -- less worry about the appeal of the
> final "texture" of all those fiddly little pieces.
>
> >They are very rich, and worse than beans for provoking wind.
>
> There appears to be universal agreement on that point -- I wonder if
> anyone has tried them *with* beans! :-)

Mmm, exploding guests. Could be a bit messy.

There is a substance in JAs called inulin, which is a starch (IIRC) that the
body can't digest. They are thus a handy potato replacement for diabetics.
From memory, they need about 40 mins to cook.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue