Roast Jerusalem Artichoke and Blood Orange Salad

Artichokes

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Remove any sand residue on the Jerusalem artichokes with a scrub.
3. Wrap a few artichokes together in foil and place on roasting tray.
4. Place artichokes in the oven and turn oven down to 180 degrees Celsius.
5. Cook for 30-45 minutes, or until so tender that a cake tester can go through.
6. At the same time, roast the hazelnuts for 10 minutes, or until they’ve taken on some colour and begin to release their aroma. This will mean they are roasted enough.

Gin and herb yoghurt dressing

7. Coarsely chop 10g of dill and 10g of chervil and add to yoghurt in mixing bowl. Reserve the rest of the herbs for garnish.
8. Zest and juice blood orange and mix in well with yoghurt.
9. Mince garlic clove and add to mixing bowl.
10. Add one teaspoon of gin, salt and pepper to taste.
11. Reserve dressing for salad – you need to let it sit for at least 30 mins so the garlic can mellow out and the all the ingredients can incorporate nicely.

Assembling

12. Pick some dill fronds and chervil.
13. Using a mortar and pestle (or whatever you have at hand) crack open the hazelnuts ever so gently.
14. Once the artichokes are cooked, remove from foil and cut into halves and quarters (or however big you’d like).
15. Season with a pinch of salt and cover in dressing in another mixing bowl.
16. Mix in with your hazelnuts, dill fronds and chervil.
17. Take the artichokes in a handful and put them in your favourite salad bowl or plate, scatter some more dill fronds and chervil on top.
18. Shave some raclette over the top, zest a blood orange and enjoy a new spin on an old classic potato salad.

Suggestions:

• Roast artichokes in duck fat or with some butter.
• Use your favourite herbs if you don’t fancy dill or chervil.
• Add a handful of rocket to the party to add some greenery.
• Substitute raclette with another hard cheese like parmesan or gruyere.
• The gin is not necessary in the dressing but it does add some beautiful citrus notes.
• Yoghurt can be substituted with mayonnaise, crème fraiche or goats curd.
• Cut up the blood orange into segments and add to the salad.

Serves 4.