Saturday, December 29, 2012

Jerusalem,Artichoke.

I have noticed  lately that  a week rarely goes by without a pot of soup. As soon as the temperatures began to drop I found myself planning my cooking endeavours more and more around one crucial question: which soup will I be making. Once that is decided, I can turn my thoughts to what might accompany that soup well.
There have been a couple of these such soups lately which I think are worth re-making, and for that matter,  sharing. One was a Chickpea, Leek and Tomato Soup, thick and rich with chunks of vegetables in a fragrant broth.We will save that on for later though, since the second soup requires Jerusalem Artichoke, which is only available during the fleeting winter months here in Israel, and thus commands our immediate attention and quickness of action.


The Jerusalem Artichoke is a mildly flavored tuber which has no relation to a true artichoke, or globe artichoke, as one is formally known. Instead, the Jerusalem artichoke is related to the sunflower, and I am not certain what it's connection to Jerusalem is exactly. Seeing as I have a tender spot in my heart for this city which I live in and which lent this root its name, one may begin to imagine a certain bias and the sense of curiosity I hold for this awkward looking vegetable. Any recipe I have stumbled upon which called for it seemed to have an air of class and sophistication to it, yet I believe I only attempted cooking with it once before, several years ago.
But this winter,  when these funny looking roots started appearing heaped in small piles on the market stalls, I heard their beckoning once more, and I yielded. Some quick research on the net for inspiration led to a plan:
I shall team them with a host of fine tasting roots, roasted chestnuts and nutmeg in a rich, creamy soup. I brought home a kilo of them, patiently toiled over their peeling, lovingly cut them and the rest of the roots into equally sized cubes, and sauteed the lot in butter with spices. A fresh branch of sage and a bit of white wine summed things up nicely and made for quite a luxury of a soup. This was about a month ago, and the soup was well received by those who shared it with me over a Jerusalem saturday.



Yesterday I made this soup for my family at my father's home, with slight variations. Again, it was deemed a crowd pleaser. Here is the recipe, I hope you lay your hands on some of these little funny gems and try it yourself. I think you'll be happy once you have.

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Roasted Chestnuts
***
1 kg Jerusalem Artichokes, peeled, cut into pieces about 2 cm wide
1/2 kg potatoes, peeled
1 large celery root, peeled
1 medium onion, white or red
6-8 cloves of garlic
300 gr roasted and peeled chestnuts
several leaves of fresh sage
ground nutmeg
black pepper
salt
3 tbsp of butter, or olive oil
a generous splash of dry white wine
*





First off, a few words of advice and generals guidelines. Before you set to peeling your Jerusalem artichokes, please supply yourself with ample amounts of patience. Their odd shape and many protrusions make them a less then perfect candidate for peeling, but still those peels must go. I use a veggie peeler and a small Sharp knife to reach spots which are more tricky. To make things easier, try and choose tubers which are relatively uniform and shape. Also, look for ones that still look juicy and firm, not dried out or woody. Once peeled, their flesh resembles that of an uncooked potato, watery and crisp. It's worth it, really! Plus, if you happen to be in the right kind of mood, tending to them can be meditative. If you are feeling edgy and impatient, save this soup for the next day. 
You should also try and cook all the roots into similarly sized pieces, so they will softened about the same time.
I used bagged chestnuts, which made the matter much easier. If you have the time and are so inclined, you could roast and peel your own.

In a large pot, warm butter or olive oil over a medium flame. Add garlic and onion, and saute for several minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg ( I used about 1/2 a tsp, and more at the end, but use as much or little as you like ), stir, cover and saute till the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add chestnuts and sage, cover with 2 liters of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer till vegetables are soft. Add a splash of white wine, check seasoning, and serve. 
The second time I made this I used olive oil instead of butter, and left out the wine since I had none on hand. Both versions were excellent. The soup is rich regardless of whether you use butter or not, although it was somewhat richer with the butter, naturally. I would recommend the wine if you have it, because it compliments the delicate flavours of the soup perfectly. Although, the soup is still very, very good without it as well.


Happy winter, keep warm and cozy, and have a wonderful, beautiful new year!





2 comments:

  1. Yummy! You are a hero peeling so many roots:))) Looking forward to cooking with you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucy! I know you braved them too!! :) I look forward to our Quiche date as well!

      Delete