I always look forward to boxes of Jerusalem artichokes arriving in our kitchens. Like potatoes, they are very versatile and always find a place on my menus, playing centre stage in a creamy, velvety soup or puréed as an accompaniment to meat. They can also be served raw in a salad, tossed with a little vinaigrette, or baked whole for 30-40 minutes as you would a jacket potato.

People are often put off Jerusalem artichokes as their knobbly red or beige skin makes them a nightmare to peel, but I prefer to leave the skin on as most of the nutrients are stored just under it. I also do not like to cut them up before cooking, as the flesh tends to discolour when oxidised. Instead of soaking cut slices in lemon juice, which I think changes their unique nutty and smoky flavour, I simply boil them whole in salted water until tender. They can then be sliced, chopped or puréed as dictated by the recipe.

Chicken and Jerusalem Artichoke Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Jerusalem artichokes provide carbohydrates and starch in this all-in-one salad, which is based on a dish that we serve at Boxwood Café. I think it is ideal for a light lunch and it leaves you with just enough room for a quick dessert. If you’re short of time, leave out the deep-fried onion rings, but they do give a nice bit of crunch to the salad.

400g Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and washed
2 tbsp olive oil
4 free-range chicken breasts, with skin on
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few knobs of butter
150g baby spinach leaves, washed

For the vinaigrette

1 banana shallot (or 2 regular ones), peeledand finely chopped
50ml sherry vinegar
150ml olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of caster sugar

For the onion rings

1 medium onion, peeled, cut horizontally and separated into rings
125g plain flour, plus 1 tbsp extra for dusting
30g corn flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
300ml light beer (or soda water)
Groundnut oil, for deep-frying

1 First, cook the Jerusalem artichokes. Boil them with their skin on in a pan of salted water until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, after about 10-15 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette. Mix the chopped shallot, vinegar and oil together in a small bowl and season to taste with the salt, pepper and sugar. Set aside and allow the flavours to infuse.

3 When tender, drain the Jerusalem artichokes and leave to cool slightly. Heat a frying pan with the oil until hot. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and fry, skin-side down, for 3-4 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Turn over the breasts to cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes. Add a few knobs of butter and as it begins to foam, spoon over the butter to baste the chicken breasts. The thickest part of the breasts should feel firm when cooked through. Remove from the pan and leave to rest.

4 Cut the Jerusalem artichokes into thick slices. In the same pan that you cooked the chicken, melt a few more knobs of butter and add the artichoke slices. Fry for a few minutes each side until golden brown at the sides. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

5 To make the onion rings, sift the flour, corn flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Using a balloon whisk, mix in the beer or soda until the batter is just smooth.

6 Heat a deep-fat fryer or a heavy-based saucepan with about 15cm of groundnut oil until hot. (A small piece of bread dropped into it should sizzle immediately and float to the surface.) Deep-fry the onion rings a few at a time. Dust them lightly with flour then lightly coat in the batter. Gently drop the rings into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining onion rings.

7 Toss the baby spinach and Jerusalem artichokes with some vinaigrette, then divide on to individual plates. Thickly slice the chicken breasts and place on top of the leaves. Scatter over the onion rings and drizzle more vinaigrette. Serve at once.

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