Best Caramelized Sunchokes With Beet Confit Recipes

ROASTED SUNCHOKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit (220°C) with a rack in the center position. In a medium bowl, toss the sunchokes slices with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until well coated. Distribute the sunchokes, cut-side down in an even, thin layer on a half sheet pan. Be sure to leave space between them, as this will help them caramelize evenly.
• Roast for 18 to 22 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through, or until the sunchokes are lightly caramelized and fork tender.
• Gently toss the roasted sunchokes with freshly chopped thyme leaves and a light sprinkle of kosher salt. I like to drizzle them lightly with extra virgin olive oil before serving, but this is optional. Serve immediately.

ROASTED BEETS WITH CRISPY SUNCHOKES AND PICKLED ORANGE-GINGER PURéE

Steps:

• Pickled Orange-Ginger Purée:
• Place the zest strips in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, then drain. Repeat this process two more times (blanching the orange zest removes any bitter flavors). Place the ginger and orange zest in a jar or heatproof container. In a saucepan, bring the lime juice, vinegar, sugar, and ¾ teaspoon salt to a boil. Pour over the ginger and orange. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The pickled ginger can be refrigerated for a couple of months.
• Drain the pickled ginger and orange and save 3 tablespoons of the pickling liquid. Add both to a blender or mini food processor, along with the olive oil, chile, and remaining 2 tablespoons salt. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the side of the blender as needed. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use. The puree can be made a couple of days ahead. (Makes about 1 cup.)
• Roasted beets:
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the beets in a baking dish (if using a mix of red and golden beets, separate them into two smaller dishes and divide the oil, vinegar, and water between the two dishes). Drizzle with the oil and add the water and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with foil and roast until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife; this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the thickness of the beets. Let the beets cool, then peel and cut into 1-inch wedges. Place each color of beet, along with any accumulated juices, into a small mixing bowl.
• Toasted cashews:
• In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the cashews and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl.
• Sunchoke chips:
• Pour 1 inch of oil into a small saucepan and add the sunchokes (there should be just enough oil to cover the sunchokes; add more oil if needed). Turn the heat to medium and stir occasionally; when the sunchokes begin to sizzle and foam, increase the temperature to high and continue frying, stirring constantly, until the sunchokes are light golden brown. At this point the sunchokes will rapidly go from golden brown to burnt, so quickly transfer the chips to paper towels to drain. Lightly season with salt. The sunchoke chips can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, or until they start to soften. (Makes about ½ cup.)
• For serving:
• Using a sharp knife, cut the peel and pith off the orange. Working over a bowl, cut the orange between the membranes to release the segments. Dice the segments, then return them to the bowl.
• Drizzle the beet wedges with a little bit of olive oil, season with salt, and toss.
• Spread the ginger puree on the bottom of a shallow serving bowl or plate. Arrange the beets over the puree. Sprinkle the chopped orange segments over the beets and grind some pepper over the dish. Top with the cashews, herbs, and sunchoke chips. Serve.

LATKES THREE WAYS: BEET, SWEET POTATO AND SUNCHOKE

Steps:

• For the latkes: Grate the beet, sweet potato or sunchokes into a medium bowl. Grate the potato and onion into the same bowl. Transfer the mixture to a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel and squeeze out all of the liquid. Really squeeze hard! The more moisture you can get out now, the crispier the latkes will be. In a medium bowl, mix together the squeezed-out mixture with the eggs, flour, kosher salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.
• In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Divide the latke mixture into equal portions. Place 3 latkes in the skillet at a time. Keep them spaced out and don't overcrowd. I like to press down a little with the spatula to flatten the latke a bit after flipping to get it a little thinner, so that it's extra crispy. Fry until golden and crispy around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip the latkes and fry the second side until crisp, pressing down with a spatula as it cooks, another 2 to 3 minutes. When the latkes are done and dark golden all over, place on a paper towel lined plate and season with sea salt. Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil and latke mixture. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with either Chive Sour Cream, Roasted Lemons, applesauce, or all three, and mint.
• In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, chives, mint, and a generous pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the lemon slices in a single layer on the baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil, and season with the salt. Roast until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND BEETS

Steps:

• Place beets in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover and cook for 35-40 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid; cool slightly. Peel and quarter beets; set aside., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onions in butter until tender; add sugar and vinegar. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently., Add the beets, salt, pepper and reserved cooking liquid to skillet; cover and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.

WARM DUCK SALAD WITH CARAMELIZED BEETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel beets and slice into 3/4-inch-thick wedges. Toss with oil; season with salt and pepper. Place beets on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment; cover baking sheet with parchment-lined foil. Roast until beets are tender and golden brown on one side, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, flip, and continue to roast until golden brown on second side, 5 to 10 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, remove peels and white pith from grapefruits and pomelo. Working over a small bowl to catch juices, carefully cut between membranes to remove segments. Squeeze juice from membranes into bowl.
• Using the flat side of a heavy knife, finely mash garlic with 1/4 teaspoon salt on a large cutting board to make a paste. Chop parsley and coriander seeds and combine with garlic mixture on cutting board; season with pepper.
• Using a sharp knife, score duck breasts, cutting through fat but not flesh, at 1/2-inch intervals to create a crosshatch pattern. Season both sides with salt and pepper and let stand 10 minutes. Place duck breasts in a cold, ovenproof nonstick skillet, skin-side down. Cook over medium heat until skin is golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.
• Flip duck breasts, spoon off fat (reserve for another use; see cook's note) and transfer to oven, skin-side up. Roast until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of duck registers 135°F, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to herb mixture on cutting board; let stand.
• Toss beets, grapefruits, and pomelo with 2 tablespoons reserved citrus juice and a drizzle of oil; season with salt and pepper. Slice duck on top of herbs, allowing drippings to mingle with them to create a sauce. Transfer beet-grapefruit salad and duck to a platter; spoon herb sauce over top, sprinkle with microgreens, and serve.