I more or less followed my inspiration recipe for once, but next time I make these I will steam the Jerusalem artichokes until they are fork tender rather than using the method in the original recipe which didn't work for me and required a lot more water than specified for the vegetables to cook through. Also, I didn't want my Jerusalem artichokes crispy, which I felt rather defeated the purpose of them. Should you decide to steam them rather than follow my recipe below (or the original linked), I would imagine 15 minutes over medium heat should yield tender vegetables.
This is a good recipe though as the fig balsamic (or regular balsamic) adds some much needed tang to an otherwise rather earthy vegetable. This elevates them from nubby root balls to interesting vegetables.
1 lb Jerusalem artichokes
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsps butter
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar (I just happened to have fig)
generous pinch dried thyme
salt
Scrub the Jerusalem artichokes really well. Jerusalem artichokes sometimes have ridges, or grow over themselves a bit, so cut out any pieces that cannot be cleaned by water and scrubbing alone. Quarter the Jerusalem artichokes and place them in a pan with the water and some salt.
Cook, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Drain if necessary though, in my case, the pan went dry with a couple of minutes to go and I had to keep stirring to keep the veggies from sticking. Still, remove the Jerusalem artichokes from the pan so that you can make the glaze.
Add the butter to the pan and melt it over medium low heat. Cook, stirring often, until it turns a rich golden brown and smells nutty.
Add the Jerusalem artichoke quarters back to the pan and stir gently to combine.
Salt lightly, add the thyme and stir again to distribute the spice throughout the dish.
Drizzle in the balsamic and stir again. The butter and vinegar will amalgamate and create a rich glaze.
Inspiration recipe, here.
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