Jerusalem artichokes, also called ‘sunchokes’ or ‘Earth apples’, are commonly used in soups and purees and made into chips. Now they’re being used in desserts at Australian restaurants, including The Charles Brasserie and Bar and Lana in Sydney and Chianti and Botanic Gardens Restaurant in Adelaide.
“The first time I used Jerusalem artichoke in a dessert at Lana was to improve carrot cake, which I hate,” says Alex Wong, executive chef at Lana. “I created a dish like sticky date pudding, but in the style of carrot cake, so it had a more savoury edge. I paired it with miso caramel, and it was great — much better than carrot cake.”
In autumn and winter, Jerusalem artichoke features on Lana’s menu as a gelato, with its sweet and earthy flavour balancing with Tuscan chestnut torta and chestnut mousse. The dish is topped with shavings of Australian truffle.
At Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens Restaurant, executive chef Paul Baker once used Jerusalem artichoke for tiramisu. Also in Adelaide, at Chianti, executive chef Josh Cooke serves Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, drizzled with honey and topped with macadamia praline. To make the ice cream, the artichokes are slowly roasted, which brings out their natural sweetness. Then, they’re infused with the cream used to make the ice cream.
“For something a little more complex, Jerusalem artichoke works amazingly well with a classic apple tarte Tatin that has been spiced with star anise and cinnamon,” says Cooke.
The idea to use Jerusalem artichokes in desserts came to Cooke after having a surplus, as is common with many ingredients in restaurant kitchens. Their natural sweetness and nuttiness — as opposed to the mild and slightly bitter taste of globe artichokes — make them an easy choice to use in a dessert.
“Finding different ways to use extra ingredients is just part of what any good kitchen team does,” Cooke says.
Rhiann Mead, head of pastry at Sydney venues The Charles Brasserie and Bar, Genzo, Soluna and Sol Bread and Wine, argues many vegetables aside from Jerusalem artichokes work in desserts. While carrot cake has long been popular, she says beetroots, parsnips and potatoes work in desserts too.
“They add texture and flavour and complement common ingredients like brown sugar, chocolate and vanilla,” Mead says.
One of her favourite ways to use Jerusalem artichoke is to use it with chocolate in a Swill roll sponge or baked as a cake. At The Charles, she created a Jerusalem artichoke and caramel magnum dessert.
“The texture when the ice cream is churned is incredible and the flavour is both familiar, but complex,” she says. “Everyone is shocked when they realise it’s artichoke. My next idea is to use it in doughnut dough. I’ve had doughnuts made with potato that were incredible, and I think they could be even better with artichoke.”
Countless dish options and potentially kickstarting a trend of more veggies in desserts, all from a humble root vegetable which, before the 1500s, was used as animal feed.
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