They’re hardly the sexiest things to come across a table, but don’t let that dissuade you from digging into sunchokes, which you can purchase from Nichols Farm at the indoor Green City Market. Matt Holmes (Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba) thinks the wintertime root is best when roasted: “It brings out an earthy, sweet nuttiness, almost like a cross between a walnut and a water chestnut.”
Matt Holmes’s Roasted Sunchokes with Bacon, Apples, and Cider Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 45 minutes
Sunchokes
| 1 lb. | Sunchokes, washed and halved lengthwise |
| 6 | Strips bacon, diced |
| 2 Tbsp. | Olive oil |
| Pinch of kosher salt and black pepper | |
| 1 | Gala apple, cored and diced |
Vinaigrette
| ½ cup | Apple cider |
| 2 Tbsp. | Apple cider vinegar |
| ½ cup | Olive oil |
| Pinch of kosher salt and white pepper |
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the sunchokes, bacon, olive oil, salt, and black pepper together.
3. Roast mixture for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sunchokes can be easily pierced with a fork.
4. In the meantime, place the cider in a small pot and reduce on the stove to about 2 Tbsp.
5. Allow the reduction to cool slightly and whisk in the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and white pepper.
6. Drain off some of the excess bacon fat and olive oil from the sunchokes, toss with 4 Tbsp. of the vinaigrette and the diced apple, and serve.
Tips Sunchokes should be the size of fingerling potatoes—if larger, chop into smaller pieces instead of halving. Use the leftover vinaigrette as a salad dressing.