Sunchoke, Celeriac, and Potato Purée

I bought sunchokes (or Jerusalem artichokes) at the farmer's market thinking I'd make a salad. Over the course of the day, as I mentally thought out my evening's menu (scallops with ramp butter over a sunchoke puree), I realized I would need more sunchokes. By the time I left work, the market was closed so I was out of luck. I still wanted to make a puree that was springy and somewhat lighter than potato. I picked up a celery root and one potato and it turned out wonderfully. It's tasty and like and has the consistency of whipped cream. It has a little bit of an artichoke taste (even though sunchoked/Jerusalem artichokes are not at all related to artichokes). It works very well under scallops, and would work equally well as a base for short ribs. Definitely a keeper!

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1/2 a large or 1 small russet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium-sized celeriac/celery root, peeled and cut in half and then into 1/2 inch slices

2 large sunchokes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup half and half, warm

1 tbsp butter

warm water as needed

salt and pepper

Directions:

In a sauce pan, cover the celeriac with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Cook for 5-10 minutes until starting to get tender. Add the potato and sunchoke and cook until tender (another 10 or so minutes).

Mix in the butter and half of the half and half and mash with a fork or potato masher.

It will be a little lumpy. Add in the rest of the cream and mash some more. Then pull out the immersion blender. Blend until it is very smooth and has the consistency of whipped cream, adding hot water as necessary.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Spread it at the bottom of a plate or rimmed pasta bowl, ready to be adorned with something.