A surprising recipe I discovered by chance a couple of days ago is fried Jerusalem artichoke.
I only started to use them about a month ago. Baking them in the oven made me realize they tasted a lot like baked potatoes that's where I got the idea.
Two days ago, I had the idea of trying to make some bagged-style chips. I'd already tried with potatoes, but the result was slightly disappointing. The potatoes tended to stay soft until a certain point in the cooking process and burn when I tried to crisp them up. With potatoes, I only managed to get a decent result after quickly boiling them in water and vinegar, drying them, and frying them twice (and even then some of the potatoes where still not crisp).
With Jerusalem artichokes, on the other hand, it's much simpler. After cleaning them (under running water) and removing any residual dirt with a spoon (the skin is very thin, so the spoon easily removes any residue), you simply use a mandolin to slice them into thin, evenly-sized discs and fry them.
The frying part is the most delicate. Like potatoes, if you wait too long, they tend to burn. Unlike potatoes, removing them before they burn when they're just starting to brown (by the time you remove them completely, they'll be just the right color) will produce crispy Jerusalem artichokes, even if they initially seem soft (when they are still in the oil).
It's my first time making them, so I can't be sure I've used the best method, but I went with the simplest method possible: I didn't even soak them or dry them. I simply placed them in hot oil (about 190°C), added several to each batch, trying to divide them quickly as I added them (since it was my first time, I didn't even turn on the fryer that I got I used a small pot). I kept an eye on the temperature and stopped adding when it dropped below 150°C (but never below 140°C). I took them out as soon as they started to brown (usually the temperature rose to at least 180°C). They were a bit tricky to remove with a spoon because they tended to stick to the spoon… with the fryer basket is probably easier.
Note: just a little bit of color is fine, don't wait more than that. Don't even wait for every slice to reach that gold color, just remove them as soon as they start to change color.
After a few seconds of draining over the pan, I placed them on a sheet of paper towel, added salt, and separated the ones still stuck with my fingers (usually a couple or so per batch). By then, they had cooled enough to handle without burning, but not always completely solidified. After a few more minutes, they could be added to the others (in fact, I only used one sheet of paper towel for the new frying and the one shown in the video for all the others).
Note: I didn't salt every batch. Taste often because it's easy to oversalt, but adding more batches to the ones already salted easily balances out the saltiness.
In my experience, they remained as crispy as the first day for the next two days (then they ran out, so I don't know how much longer they would have lasted).
Much more similar to supermarket chips than actual potatoes fried at home. Crispy and delicious. They have a hint of sweetness.
They were a great discovery that I recommend to everyone.
by LiefLayer
Dining and Cooking