Recipe

Sunchoke Tart

Sunchoke Tart

Photo 1 of 2
by hardlikearmour

Sunchoke Tart

Photo 2 of 2
by hardlikearmour

  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Late Winter Tart (Sweet or Savory)
  • Chef

    hardlikearmour's Notes: Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem Artichokes) are a great winter root vegetable. They are native to North America and related to sunflowers. The tubers taste best after at least one hard frost, and...

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Makes one 10 to 11-inch tart

  1. Combine dry ingredients in bowl of food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Scatter butter over the dry ingredients. Pulse to combine, until mixture is crumbly looking like coarse sand with some pea-sized pieces of butter. Scrape down sides of bowl. Combine egg and water, and mix thoroughly. Drizzle the egg and water mixture over the dough, and pulse just until dough begins to collect into clumps. Scrape down bowl at least once during the process to ensure everything is well mixed.

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  2. Dump dough into a 10- or 11-inch non-stick tart pan, then use your hands to pat it out. Cover the bottom and sides of the tart pan with an even layer of dough. Refrigerate until ready to assemble tart.

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  1. Heat oven to 400º F with rack in lower middle position. Cover rimmed baking sheet with foil. Dice sunchokes into 1/2-inch sized pieces. Place in medium bowl, and toss well with olive oil, black pepper, and sugar (the sugar promotes caramelization.) Spread sunchokes on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once, until they are soft and starting to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

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  2. Dice pancetta. Place in small frying pan, and heat over medium heat until most of fat has rendered out and pancetta is crisp. Drain on paper towel and set aside. (Reserve fat for another use if desired.)

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  3. Split leek in half lengthwise. Rinse well between the leaves to make sure no grit remains. Slice leek into thin half moons. Measure out 2/3 cup, and reserve remaining leek slices for a different use. Set aside.

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  4. Shred mozzarella. Set aside. Cube gouda into about 1/4-inch dice. Set aside.

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  5. To assemble tart, remove tart shell from refrigerator. Sprinkle crust with mozzarella. Scatter leeks, sunchokes, pancetta, rosemary, and cubed gouda in an even layer over the mozzarella.

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  6. Bake for approximately 22 to 25 minutes, rotating pan about halfway. The crust should be light brown and the cheese should be melted, bubbling and just starting to brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Alternately cool to room temperature before serving.

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35 Comments on Sunchoke Tart

Chocolate_peppermint_truffle_cookies_032 Reply

I love sunchokes! And I love this tart! It's got so many of my favorite things in it. And I like putting some rosemary in my crusts too. I just read the discussion around peel vs scrub. I used to peel mine, but switched to a good scrubbing with something slightly abrasive like a plastic scrubby thing for dishes. The skin seemed thin enough to remove (for the most part). I might be affecting the texture somewhat, but what a huge timesaver!! I'm adding this tart to our menu for our week in the mountains!

Shamrock-medal Reply

That's exactly what I used for scrubbing, and for some of the crevices a toothbrush. If you get a chance to try it, let me know how it goes. I still may tinker with the crust, though I'm pretty happy with it now (it's gone through a few iterations!) I really like the flavor, but am certainly biased.

Sarahnewspaper Reply

Not sure I can get sunchokes around where I live. Think I could sub artichoke hearts? Also, I'm guessing "whole grain corn flower" is the same as cornmeal?

Sarahnewspaper Reply

Ok nevermind. I just googled sunchoke. Nothing at all like an artichoke. :0/

Shamrock-medal Reply

I'd probably sub yukon gold potatoes and dice a can of artichoke hearts as a sub. The cornflour is much more finely ground than cornmeal.

Saucy Reply

I'm excited to try this recipe! My local store has been stocking them lately and I have been looking for a creative way to use them!

Shamrock-medal Reply

Let me know if you try it! I'd never used sunchokes before, and am glad I tried.

Lobster_001 Reply

Mmmm, gouda and smoked mozzarella...

Shamrock-medal Reply

cheese Gromit, cheese!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

What a great recipe! Love the gouda and smoked mozza combo. I'm so going to make this. ;o)

Shamrock-medal Reply

Thanks, AJ. I tried multiple cheese combos, and the gouda w/ smoked mozz was our favorite.

Newliztoqueicon-2 Reply

Most original - now I finally know what a "sunchoke AKA Jerusalem arttichoke" is!

Shamrock-medal Reply

They're surprisingly delicious, though I defiitely like them cooked more than raw.

Reply

silly question are sunchokes the same thing as Jerusalem artichokes??

Shamrock-medal Reply

Yes. I should've added that to the header.

Katherine_photo Reply

I was just about to roast some sunchokes/Jerusalem artichokes to add to a haloumi salad for dinner...but now I may have to rethink my plans! Looks fab.

Shamrock-medal Reply

If you try it, let me know how it goes. I still may tinker with the crust and cheese proportions before the deadline, so input would be greatly appreciated.

Buddhacat Reply

Wow - an adventure with a happy ending! Always curious about sunchokes, and this is a guaranteed win. Thank you!

Shamrock-medal Reply

Thanks, SKK! I am happy with the result.

Cheese_for_twitter0001 Reply

I've only had sunchokes sliced thin and fried and sprinkled with salt. This looks like a healthier option for me!!

Shamrock-medal Reply

I don't know about healthier! It's pretty calorie dense.

Img_2764 Reply

This DOES look wonderful, hardlikearmour! I haven't used sunchokes in years. I especially love the idea of polenta in the crust. I also like to use a bit of rice flour in a crust for a kind of mysterious crunch. Thank you!

Shamrock-medal Reply

I used the Bob's Red Mill whole grain corn flour. It gives it a nice texture. I tried with medium grind cornmeal, but it was a bit too crunchy.

Img_1958 Reply

Beautiful, and sounds absolutely delicious. I will definitely keep my eye out for sunchokes at the market. Thanks for another terrific recipe!

Shamrock-medal Reply

Thanks! I hope you can find some, they're really tasty.

Monkeys Reply

What a great idea! I never know what to do with sunchokes.

Shamrock-medal Reply

Thanks, monkeymom! I've been thinking about trying them for awhile, so this seemed like a great opportunity. So glad I did, too, because they're yummy.

Summer_2010_1048 Reply

Absolute yum! I've never cooked with sunchokes, but you've inspired me.

Shamrock-medal Reply

You should try them!

Mrs Reply

Holy moly! That thing is gorgeous. And sounds really yummy. I'm back to square one. :)

Shamrock-medal Reply

Thanks, mrslarkin! I'm really glad I decided to try sunchokes, they are delish.

Kg_in_evanston_cropped Reply

This sounds delicious! I love sunchokes and appreciate a new recipe for using them. Can you really get away without peeling them? I always thought they needed to be peeled, which is a lot of work, given their knobby contours.

Shamrock-medal Reply

Yep, scrub them just like you would a potato. This was my first time playing with sunchokes, and I'm wondering what took me so long!

N37008786_30893182_2970 Reply

No! Peel them peel them peel them! It does take a bit more effort but it's always worth it. The skins can be just too chewy so you miss the meltingly tender texture of the flesh. Plus they have a habit of turning a rather unpleasant grey colour. It might be a bit of extra effort but it's always worth it.

Even if you're not peeling them (and especially if you are), you must place scrubbed or peeled jerusalem artichokes in a bowl of water with a good squeeze of lemon or some vinegar. This prevents them from turning grey.

Shamrock-medal Reply

LOL, josh! You're quite passionate about sunchokes! For this tart the scrubbing and roasting works well. They don't seem to turn gray since they get cooked right away, and having a little texture works well in this application.

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