The elusive jerusalem artichokes

So, I hunted - and it paid off, although I have to admit to somewhat startling the other shoppers with my sheer excitement at having found my quarry: the Jerusalem artichoke. No sooner had I found them than I keep seeing them everywhere! Ah well, I did get some kind of hunter-gatherer buzz from having searched…

I would say that had I not really known what I was looking for, I could have easily missed them - the Jerusalem Artichoke is a strange looking beast, all browny pink, beiges and nobbles. Think ginger root crossed with potato in looks.

Having done some reading, it appears you can eat jerusalem artichokes raw as well as cooked, but most recipes out there seem to focus on cooking them in a similar style to potatoes. I decided to make a simple dish, par boiling the artichokes and then using tangy creme fraiche which really went well with the warm nutty flavour of the arichokes, topped with some crispy breadcrumbs. See my recipe for Baked Jerusalem Artichokes with Creme Fraiche.