MID TO LATE SUMMER // Recipe for four
Garlic scapes, spanner crab and sunchokes
The sunchoke is a member of the sunflower family and is one of my favourite plants. It’s also known as Jerusalem artichoke, earth apple or topinambour. Glorious sunflowers form during its life cycle and when the flowers fall it is an indication that the tubers are ready for harvesting.
SUNCHOKE CREME
400 g (14 oz) Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
100 ml (3½ fl oz) cream
2 teaspoons salt
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Make a foil bag large enough to hold the artichokes and seal them in tightly. Cook in the oven for 50 minutes. Scrape all the flesh out of the chokes and leave to cool.
Whip the cream until soft peaks form and season with the salt. Mash the chokes with a fork and fold into the cream.
SUNCHOKES
Juice of 1 lemon
200 g (7 oz) Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Half-fill a large bowl with water and add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Peel the artichokes and place in the lemon water to stop them browning. Using a mandolin, slice the artichokes as thinly as possible. Dress with the remaining lemon juice, olive oil and some salt.
SPANNER CRAB
5 whole spanner crabs
Cook the crabs in boiling water for about 8 minutes, then plunge into an ice bath to chill. Remove the meat from the shell: lift the triangular flap from underneath the crab that attaches to the top shell. Lift the top shell away from the body and pull the intestines and grey gills out of the body. Crack the claws with the back of a heavy knife. Remove the crab meat from the claws and body and discard the shell.
Blacken the garlic scapes over hot coals or in a hot chargrill pan. Once the outer flesh is charred, add the olive oil and salt.
