Jerusalem artichokes, roasted with mushrooms and onions

 I used to believe that Jerusalem artichokes were out of bounds because they cause terrible flatulence, but I got some from waitrose recently and they were no trouble at all (and delicious). This recipe worked very well, but see the modifications below!

Serves 4. Prep 10 minutes. Cook 45 minutes in the oven.

Ingredients

1 ½ lb (700 g) Jerusalem artichokes

2 onions

A few sprigs of fresh thyme

4 ½ tbsp olive oil

1 lb (450g) chestnut mushrooms (less will do)

1 oz (20g) butter

Salt and pepper etc 

 

Method (see below for advice on simplifying this)

1. Heat the oven to 230º C or gas mark 8.
2. Cut the artichokes into even sized pieces (large). Cut the onions into wedges. Put all these in a large roasting tin, in a single layer. 
3. Toss in 2 ½ tbsp of the oil. Season with salt and black pepper as you wish.
4. Roast these for 35 minutes, turning occasionally.
5. Cut the mushrooms in half. 
6. Put the mushrooms in another roasting pan with half the butter and 2 tbsp of oil. Roast for 30 minutes till golden, turning occasionally.
7. For the last ten minutes add the rest of the butter to the artichokes,
8. Throw the contents of both pans together and serve.

Alternative method.

Follow steps 1-3 as shown. 

4. Roast them for 15 minutes.

5. Add the mushrooms and all the rest of the butter and oil and roast for the remaining 30 minutes.

Serve.

Roasted Pumpkin

Peel pumpkin, remove seeds and cut into approx. 2cm cubes.

Place in bowl with salt, pepper, fresh rosemary, 3 cloves of chopped garlic and 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil.

Shake around and tip into a roasting dish.

Place in moderate oven and leave there for 40 minutes.

Eat.

(This recipe may also be made with beetroot, turnips, squash etc)

Roast potatoes

Potatoes, at the rate of about 6oz per person.
Goose fat, a dob or two.

1. Heat the oven to medium or hot.
   
2. Peel the potatoes (or leave the skins on if you like). Cut them into even sized pieces.
3. Put the fat in a roasting tin, and put the tin in the oven to get hot. If you haven't got goose fat, you can use the fat collected from any other roast joint, or roast them round a joint you're roasting for dinner.
4. Take the tin of fat out of the oven and place the potatoes into the hot fat carefully. Use cooking tongs to turn them over a few times so all sides are coated in fat. If there isn't enough fat to do this you may need to add a bit more, but don't overdo it!
5. Put the tin in the oven and keep the heat as before, medium to hot.
   
6. After about 20 minutes take it out and turn the potatoes with the tongs. You can do this again once more later in the cooking if you like.
7. The potatoes should be cooked in about 45 minutes to an hour.
8. Garlic cloves or pine nuts and other root vegetables can be roasted along with the potatoes.