Sunchokes courtesy of TheKitchn

I am mildly obsessed with this late fall tuber – the sunchoke, aka Jersusalem artichoke. Sunchokes are super tasty, easy to prepare, contain protein (!!) and low in starch. They could easily be mistaken for ginger root in appearance, but have a consistency more like celeriac or a potato (with a much better nutritional profile). And, they are available now in the Northeast, so local+seasonal. I guess I commented one too many times during dinner on my affection for this veg.  Said Hubs, ” Yeah, I got it,” all the while scraping his plate clean. This is one in a series on the lovely sunchoke.

Last Monday night’s meal consisted of Pan Seared Halibut with Oven Roasted Sunchokes and a mixed green salad to finish. It was a hit.

Pan Seared Halibut and Oven Roasted Sunchokes

I wanted a simple recipe for the halibut, and I got my inspiration from the the King Estate Winery’s website. I cracked a handful of peppercorns, and then pressed them into each side of 6 ounce halibut fillets, along with a sprinkle of kosher salt. I heated up a splash of olive oil in my cast iron pan on medium heat, and then seared the fillets for about 2 minutes on each side. Done.  I had previously prepared the sunchokes, so dinner was basically ready to go in less than 10 minutes. Here is my recipe for the sunchokes. Must try

Oven Roasted Sunchokes for 2

Oven Roasted Sunchokes

1/2 to 3/4 pound of sunchokes, scrubbed and slice 1/4 inch thick. Do not peel
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
5 or 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, or a small sprig of fresh rosemary, if you have it
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 425F. Toss sunchokes in a mixing bowl with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Place in a 9X13 roasting pan and cook for 15 minutes. Shake the pan once or twice. The sunchokes are ready when they are softened and lightly browned. You can keep them in the oven longer if you’d like to get them a little crispier. Enjoy!