Sunchoke (Jerusalem Artichoke) Gratin

Jerusalem Artichokes are one of the few crops native to North America, cultivated by Native Americans long before the arrival of Europeans. They are often used as a soup base, but you could use them in the below recipe for your Thanksgiving meal!

3/4 lb sunchokes, washed and peeled
1/8 cup chopped dates
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp butter
1 small clove garlic

Preheat the oven to 350’. Slice the sunchokes into 1/8” rounds. Toss them in a large bowl with dates, cream, milk, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Gently smash the garlic clove and run the garlic on the inside of a pie plate or small casserole dish to season. With your fingers, rub the dish with butter. Add the sunchoke mix to the dish; press down on the slices and, if desired, shingle the top layer of slices. Pour any remaining cream mixture from the bowl over the sunchokes. Cover with foil, place on a baking sheet and cook in oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, increase heat to 425’, and cook for another 15 minutes, until the sunchokes are tender and the top of the gratin is golden brown.

– Dan Barber, Executive Chef of Blue Hill at Stone Barns