January 23, 2022

Sunflower Seed Loaded Jerusalem Artichoke Chips

Brighten your day with these sunflower seed loaded Jerusalem artichoke chips! Sweet, crispy, Jerusalem artichoke chips (also known as sunchokes) are topped with a silky smooth, creamy, sunflower seed sauce, as well as smokey, salty, sunflower seed “bacon” bits. A few chives for a little color, and you have a unique, delicious, sun-filled, snackable dish. Crunch your way through the whole pile, because they’ll never taste as good as when you first made them!

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All About Jerusalem Artichokes (AKA Sunchokes)

Sunflower on top, potato on bottom. Could there be more of a winning combination? Okay, so that’s not exactly what a Jerusalem artichoke is, but it’s not far off. Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) have thick, hairy stems on which smaller, sunflower-like flowers perch. They don’t have edible seeds like sunflowers, but they do give off a similar, beautiful appearance. In the fall, they produce tubers underground, that can be dug up and eaten. They’re not potatoes- they sweeter, and have a juicer texture than potatoes. Sunchokes like to spread out, and can often be found growing wild and feral (a good foraging opportunity!). A side note, but they’re supposed to be quite easy to grow. In a testament to how terrible I am at gardening, I tried to grow some last year and was totally thwarted by rabbits munching down the stalks. If you would like to give it a shot and are better at keeping local rabbits at bay, I’ve found several good looking sources for plants on Etsy. These plants have been cultivated, grown, and eaten by Native people in the Americas long before colonization. When settlers came, they shipped the tubers back to Europe where they gained some popularity, while at the same time sunchokes were more or less forgotten on the American continent. Starting in the early 2000’s, we’ve been seeing them come back and start to really take root.

You can eat the Jerusalem artichoke tubers, both cooked and raw (although I admit, I’ve never had more than a nibble raw. They’re better cooked). In terms of nutrition, they have about the same amount of calories as a potato (which is fairly high for a vegetable). They contain virtually no fat, and are a powerhouse for vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. They contain good levels of niacin, Pantothenic acid, and thiamin (as well as lesser levels of other vitamins). They contain a healthy dose of copper, and are especially high in iron- 100g contains a whopping 42% of your daily level! There is also evidence that the nutritional makeup of sunchokes can be beneficial in controlling diabetes, promoting gut health, and prevention of some cancers. I’m not saying that my deep-fried Jerusalem artichoke chips will continue to boast all these health claims, but they are still likely better for you than a potato chip. More delicious, too!

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How to Make Loaded Jerusalem Artichoke Chips

First things first- we’re making sunchoke chips topped with a sunflower seed sauce and sunflower seed bacon bits here, but you don’t have to. You could just make the chips, stop there and be totally happy. But we’re going to proceed like you’re following us all the way.

Start by giving your Jerusalem artichokes a good clean, as they can really hold on to dirt, especially when they’re more bumpy. Use a mandolin to cut thin, even slices. You can use a knife if you want, but unless you have really good knife skills you won’t get as thin or as even slices. Plus. a mandolin will just be a lot faster. Once all your slices are ready, get some vegetable oil heating to a good 350°F (that’s 175 in Celsius). I tried to come up with a good way of describing how to know when your chips are done, but I really couldn’t think of anything better than this. Start with a really small batch. Cook, until you notice the color starting to change. Let it get maybe 3-5 shades darker, and then remove from the oil and salt. Wait for them to cool down and taste. Are they crispy? Can you taste a gently sweetness, with minimal to no bitter burnt flavor? That’s what you’re going for. If they don’t get crispy, and have soft bits in the middle, you need to increase your cook time. If they loose their sweetness, you need to decrease the cook time. Do a few small batches, until you learn exactly what color you’re looking for, and then go ahead with larger batches until all the chips are cooked.

Now let’s make the toppings! For the creamy sauce, you need to boil your sunflower seeds until soft so that they will easily blend into a creamy sauce. Once softened, you just throw all the ingredients in a blender, and voila- you have a creamy, flavorful sauce! The second topping we’re going to make is some sunflower seeds “fake-on” bits. Toss the seeds in with your seasonings, and then transfer them to a baking sheet under your broiler. My most important advice here is don’t start trying to multi-task. The broiler can get you fake-on bits nice and crispy really fast, and just a few seconds longer and it will leave them totally black and charred. Not that I have personal experience with this. Okay, that might have happened to me. Stir the toasting seeds a few times, and they’re done. Remove from the oven, and assemble your loaded chips. Chips, creamy sauce, fake-on bits, some chopped chives. A sprinkle of nooch or a few sloshes of hot sauce would be nice too! Enjoy immediately, and soak in all the sunshine this dish was made with!

Sunflower Seed Loaded Jerusalem Artichoke Chips

Ingredients

For the Chips:

1 lb. Jerusalem Artichokes
Vegetable oil, for frying
Salt, to taste

For the Creamy Sauce

½ cup sunflower seeds (unsalted, shelled)
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
3 tbsp. vegan yogurt
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
Salt, to taste

For the Fake-on Bits

¼ cup sunflower seeds (unsalted, shelled)
½ tsp. olive oil
½ tsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. nutritional yeast
½ tsp. maple syrup
¼ tsp. smoked paprika

For Garnish

5-6 chives

Instructions

Start by making your chips. Use a mandolin to make slice the Jerusalem artichokes into thin slices (about 1.5mm). Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet, and set aside. Use a deep fryer if you have one, or heat a few inches of vegetable oil in a medium-sized pot. Heat the oil to around 350 F (175C). Add a small handful of the sunchokes, and let cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chips start to brown. You’re going to need to do a little experimenting here, because the window between not cooked enough (which will be soft, and not crunchy), and too cooked (which will lose a little of the chip’s natural sweetness and flavor) is pretty narrow. Keep in mind that once you do remove the Jerusalem artichokes from the oil, they’ll continue to darken a little, and will firm up. Place the cooked chips on the prepared cooling rack, sprinkle with salt, and repeat until all the chips are made. If you’re not looking for loaded chips, you can definitely stop here, as the chips are delicious on their own!
Now for the creamy sauce. Place the ½ cup of sunflower seeds into a pot of water, bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes to soften. Drain, and place in a blender, along with the remaining ingredients for the sauce and 2 tbsp. water. Blend until smooth.
To make the Fake-on bits, add all of the ingredients to a bowl, and stir until it’s well combined. Spread them out on a small baking sheet. Turn your ovens broiler on, and place the seeds underneath the broiler. Keep an eye on them (they can burn quickly!), stirring every minute or two, until they are toasted and crispy.
Assembly time. Place the chips on a large plate, and then pipe or dollop the creamy sauce on top. Sprinkle with sunflower seed fake-on, and chop your chives to sprinkle on top as well. Dig in!

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