Jerusalem artichokes share with the potato an ability to drink up both dressings and the fat in which they cook. Roll a still-warm steamed artichoke or potato in a sharp oil and vinegar dressing and it will soak up the liquid like a sponge. It is this quality that makes them a candidate for cooking in luxurious mediums such as bacon fat or, better still, duck fat. This contemporary twist on the sautéed potato is, as you might expect, something with which to garnish a steak. An ice-crisp salad of winter leaves (Belgian endive, radicchio, frisée, maybe) would slice the edge off its richness.
Recipe information
Yield
enough for 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a deep pan of water to a boil. Scrub the artichokes, removing the most awkward of the lumps and bumps and dropping them into a bowl of water into which you have squeezed a little lemon juice. Steam the artichokes for seven minutes until almost tender. If they break a little, then it is all to the good.
Step 2
Melt the duck fat in a shallow, heavy-bottomed pan and, once it starts to sizzle, add the thyme leaves and bay leaves. These are not an affectation—their effect is subtle but essential. Put the artichokes in the pan in one layer and season with salt. Let cook until the roots are crisp, golden, and tender, shaking the pan from time to time. They should be ready in thirty to thirty-five minutes.
