Secret ingredient of the day: sunchokes! Also known as Jerusalem artichokes, sunchokes are a root vegetable related to the sunflower. They are a kind of ugly and odd-looking thing…
You can eat them raw, sliced thin, but their true beauty is coaxed out when they’re roasted, as the tough core turns creamy and sweet, and the juices run like sticky sweet caramel.
In this recipe, created for us in March 2021 by Chef Michaela Skloven, they’re roasted with earthy thyme, then finished with a squeeze of Meyer lemon juice.
Meyer lemons are seasonal, available only during winter and early spring. They’re smoother and thinner skinned than regular lemons, and their tart citrusy flavor is offset by an herbaceous sweetness.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Total time: 1 hour | Active time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound sunchokes, cut into ½ inch pieces
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, stemmed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil
• 1 Meyer lemon
• Salt
• Pepper
EQUIPEMENT
• Large, rimmed baking sheet
• Microplane (zester)
• Parchment paper (so the sunchokes don’t stick to your baking sheet — not necessary, but it makes cleanup easier!)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
1. Season the sunchokes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the sunchokes on the baking sheet. Use a zester to zest the Meyer lemon onto the sunchokes, then drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped thyme, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Toss the sunchokes so that they’re evenly coated. Spread them out again in one even layer on the baking sheet.
2. Roast the sunchokes. Put the sunchokes in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, giving them a quick stir halfway through, until they’re very soft and deeply caramelized.
3. When the sunchokes are roasted, remove them from the oven to a serving plate. Cut the Meyer lemon in half, and squeeze the juice from half of it onto the sunchokes. Serve at room temperature.
