Topinambours a l'Anglaise

April 18, 2000
Web posted at: 2:06 p.m. EDT (1806 GMT)

From "Escoffier Cook Book" (Crown Publishing Group, 1971)
By A. Escoffier

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and trimmed to the shape of large olives
• 3 tablespoons butter (or 1 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons olive oil)
• 3/4 cup Bechamel sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• Salt
• White pepper (or freshly ground black pepper)
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
  
  

Method:

Place the peeled, trimmed Jerusalem artichokes in a saucepan large enough to hold them in one layer with the butter (or butter-oil mixture) over medium to low heat. Add salt and let the artichokes simmer until just tender. Start checking them after about 12 minutes. Don't overcook.

While the artichokes are cooking, put the milk in a saucepan over low heat, allowing it to heat through until small bubbles begin to form along the sides of the pot. Remove from the heat. Melt the additional tablespoon of butter in another small saucepan, add the flour and stir together over low heat until the butter is entirely absorbed by the flour. Allow to cook, stirring, for another two minutes to cook the flour. Pour in the milk a couple of tablespoons at the time, stirring. Add a pinch of salt and allow the sauce to cook over low heat, stirring until it becomes the thickness of a cream soup. If it become too thick, add more milk.

Spoon the Jerusalem artichokes into a serving dish or on plates, nap with the bechamel sauce, grate nutmeg over the top and serve.

Texas A&M Horticulture Program
The Fire and The Hearth

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