The sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke is another name) is an enigmatic root vegetable. It has a silky texture like potato when cooked yet tastes distinctly of artichoke. That makes it the perfect partner for the cured saltiness of prosciutto. Add a little tartness with the carrot pickle, and you have an antipasti party in a glass. Note: If you can’t find sunchokes, kohlrabi or celeriac (celery root) work nicely, too.
Ingredients
- 1 pound sunchokes
- 1 tablespoon 15% cream
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Fresh lemon juice, to taste
- Seasoning to taste
- 6 slices Niman Ranch prosciutto
- Carrot pickle (see below)
- Fresh herbs for garnish (I used dill)
Preparation
Wash and peel the sunchokes. (Use the peels in a future stock.) Put peeled sunchokes in a saucepan, add enough lightly salted water to just cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until soft when pricked with a fork. Drain all water.
Transfer sunchokes to a mixing bowl, add cream and mustard and puree until smooth with an immersion blender. Add lemon juice and salt to taste. Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to use. (You can make this a day ahead.)
To assemble: Pipe or spoon chilled sunchoke cream into individual appetizer-size glasses. Roll prosciutto into small rosettes (don’t make them too big: you are eating this with a spoon) and divide on top of the sunchoke cream. Add pickled carrot sticks to taste and finish with a few sprigs of fresh herbs.
