November 27, 2009

Jerusalem Artichoke with Chicken



Last week I harvested a basketful of Helianthus tuberosus, Jerusalem artichoke, aka sunchoke, sunroots--which is related to the sunflower. They bear pretty yellow flowers and their tubers, which resembles ginger root. It is crunchy with a slightly nutty taste. Someone told me that it is also used as a Chinese herb to treat heatiness and cleanse the system. Here's a simple dish using produce from the garden.
Ingredients:
1 small chicken, cleaned and cut in bite-sized pieces
2 tsp. sesame seed paste
2 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 tsp. tapioca starch, dissolved with a little water
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. ginger slices
4-5 Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed clean and sliced
Method:
1. Season meat with salt and pepper. In a bowl mix the sesame seed paste and oyster sauce.
2. Fry ginger in some oil till fragrant but not brown. Add chicken to pan and fry for 5 minutes, add in the sauce and fry till meat has absorbed most of the juices. Add the Jerusalam artichokes, toss to mix and lastly add the tapioca starch, add some warm water if sauce starts to thicken. Season to taste. Serve with rice.

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