Pan-Fried Jerusalem Artichokes in Sage (vegan) Butter
The species in the la casa permaculture garden were chosen for their niche in the whole system. Helianthus tuberosus, aka jerusalem artichokes or sunchokes, produce tasty tubers 
underground and beautiful clusters of yellow sunflowers above ground. The plants grow to almost 10 feet and the tubers can grow as thick as your wrist. Although most of the ones I harvested today were about as thick as your thumb.
You may be confused. They’re not artichokes, and they’re definitely not from Jerusalem, so what are they? Well, they are more like potatoes that shoot off the roots of a native sunflower. They grow vigorously and can compete with most weeds, however they don’t store as easily as potatoes and so are less commercially viable. They are a popular permaculture plant.
I had a craving for something fried so I found a recipe for Pan-Fried Jerusalem Artichokes in Sage Butter on epicurious. I went out just before dark and dug up a bunch of tubers.
They were very aromatic as I was digging them out and washing them. It took awhile to scrub and clean all the dirt off. From then I followed the recipe, doubling it and subbing vegan butter for regular butter.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound Jerusalem artichokes,* scrubbed, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
- 3 tablespoons coarsely torn fresh sage leaves, divided
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Preparation
Melt 1 tablespoon butter with olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Jerusalem artichokes and half of sage. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown and just beginning to soften, turning frequently, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer Jerusalem artichokes to shallow serving bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and sage to skillet; fry until sage darkens and begins to crisp, about 30 seconds. Add lemon juice; simmer 1 minute. Pour lemon-sage butter over Jerusalem artichokes in bowl, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.
The result: well it was my first time cooking with them and I used the wrong type of pan. Some slices were cooked thoroughly til mush, others were still crunchy and undercooked. The flavor I thought was quite good and a few housemates agreed.
WIN!
Here’s some research about jerusalem artichokes I found online, zipped up.
