Roasted Sunchokes

Sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichoke, is a species of sunflower native to the eastern United States. Native Americans enjoyed digging up these delicious tubers and eating them for centuries before the colonialists settled. The main carbohydrate in sunchoke, inulin, is a prebiotic that breaks down into fructose instead of glucose during digestion. For diabetics in particular, this makes the sunchoke a good substitute for other starchy foods such as potatoes.

Serves 4
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1 lb. sunchokes, washed, scrubbed and sliced
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 cloves garlic, sliced
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Preheat oven to 180c (350f). Toss sunchokes with oil, garlic, salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Cook until golden and starting to brown, about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: I love the flavors coming from the roasted sunchokes; a bit like parsnip with a slight smokey hint.  When raw, it has a taste similar to jicama or water chestnuts, which makes it a great addition in salads. When choosing a sunchoke, find ones that are moist and smooth, not dry or wrinkled. They’ll keep, refrigerated, for about a week. Just like potatoes, sunchokes can be baked, boiled, steamed, fried, and stewed. However, they will cook faster than potatoes and can easily be turned to mush in a matter of minutes if you do not monitor them closely. Keep your eye on them and remove from the heat source as soon as you can easily pierce with a skewer.