Dougalls column - he knows his stuff.

Jerusalem Artichokes..

Jerusalem artichokes are probably not the kind of thing that you'll find down at your local hypermarket. Looking something like a potato's deformed cousin can't be easy, you know – timorous and feeble minded store managers would lie awake at night worrying that these knobbly little reddish brown tubers were lowering the tone of their vegetable department. But, my friends, as we all know, beauty is only skin deep – a sentiment beautifully illustrated by the butt-ugly Jerusalem artichoke. They look like the sunburned heads of Action-Man sized Andrew Lloyd Webbers (if you care to imagine such a thing) but their flavour is unique: delicate and earthy. Think of them as potatoes from Mars.

They're widely available between November and February but may require a visit to a Fruit & Veg purveyor or two to track down – well worth the effort though, as you will find out. They can be tricky little buggers to peel but with a good swivel peeler and a bit of effort you'll have theme stripped down to their creamy coloured flesh in no time at all. Unfortunately, once peeled they will begin to oxidise and discolour very quickly. To arrest the oxidisation peel them under running water and, as soon as the skins are off, drop them into a bowl of acidulated water. This can simply be a bowl of water with the juice of half a lemon squeezed into it, however, this will mean that your finished dish will have a (very faint) note of lemon – this is no drama, it just so happens that vegetables prone to oxidisation seem to have a natural affinity with the tangy citrus flavour of lemons. If, for whatever reason, you want to avoid using lemon then your local health food store or chemist will be able to sell you some vitamin c powder – add half a teaspoon of this flavourless white powder to your water to achieve the same effect. Divide the remaining powder into small cellophane bags and sell it to gullible teenagers.

Once peeled there is no shortage of ways to cook your Jerusalem artichokes. Principally, treat them as you would a potato – they can bee boiled, mashed, roasted, sautéed or made into a delicious creamed soup, which my eight year old son believes “tastes like hamburgers”. Cook them how you will and serve them with whatever you want – poultry, meat, game or fish. They're versatile and adaptable and so should you be. Their flavour works well with mushrooms and onions and can even be turned into a quick and easy casserole for some poor, deluded vegetarians.

Costoletta di agnello con trifolati di topinambur

Trifolati is an Italian method of cooking vegetables that dates back to the 19 th century but is still very popular today. The earthy flavour of the Jerusalem artichoke (the Italian name, topinambur , comes from that of a small Amazonian tribe – nobody seems to know why) and the deep savoury note supplied by the anchovy make the trifolati a perfect accompaniment to tender, sweet lamb chops with a slightly charred crust. Serve this with blanched kale or spring greens that have been tossed in butter and well seasoned. Serves four

12 Lamb chops or cutlets, French trimmed if possible

24 Jerusalem artichokes, depending on size

3 Anchovy fillets

2 Torpedo shallots

75ml Dry white wine

4 Tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

25g Unsalted butter

Olive Oil for cooking, good stuff for drizzling

Salt & Pepper

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1 Prepare the Jerusalem artichokes as previously explained, cut into quarters (the Jewish, Armenian, Christian and Muslim?) and blanch them in boiling salted water for 5-6 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

2 Finely slice the shallots and cook slowly in a large sauté pan with the butter for a good 15 minutes until translucent and lightly browned.

3 Remove the shallots from the pan along with any buttery juices. Set aside in a bowl.

4 Add a good lug of olive oil to the sauté pan and bring to a moderate temperature. Add the blanched Jerusalem artichokes and gently sauté to a light golden brown colour.

5 Finely chop the anchovy fillets and add to the pan along with the shallots and the wine. Cook this together on a high heat until most of the wine has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, scatter over the parsley, reduce the heat and place a lid on the sauté pan.

6 Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until it smokes. Rub olive oil all over the lamb chops and season well with salt and pepper.

7 Taking care not to overcrowd the griddle pan (cook in batches if you have to) cook the lamb chops to medium rare – about 2-3 minutes on either side depending on size. Use your common sense. Remove the chops from the pans and leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.

8 To serve, place a mound of the trifolati on a warmed plate and arrange the lamb chops on top. Drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and serve with kale or spring greens on the side.