While I was visiting Chen Koren’s house for Shabbat preparations, she made a delicious chicken with deep-fried sunchokes, also known as Jerusalem artichokes. I’ve adapted the recipe here by adding three apple elements – apple cider, cider vinegar, and apples themselves – for a sweet-tangy autumn-friendly Shabbat delicacy. Many people think Jerusalem artichokes have some sort of connection to the holy city, but surprisingly they don’t. In fact, they’re not artichokes at all. They’re a member of the sunflower family, and in Italian for the word for “sunflower” is girasole, which someone at some point mistook for Jerusalem. Thus a culinary misunderstanding – albeit a delicious one – was born. Instead of frying the artichokes as Chen did, I microwave the earthy, nutty, mildly sweet chokes first so they cook at the same pace as the apples. The sauce reduces as the dish finishes in the oven, thickening to perfection – and ideal for mopping up with slices of challah.
