Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes and Chestnuts

Difficulty:

1/5

This recipe for roasted Jerusalem artichokes and chetnuts is from episode 8 of This Food That Wine.

Wine Suggestion: Meritage

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound fresh Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed (454 g)

1 cup fresh chestnuts, shells removed (250 ml)

1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (10 ml)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Cut the artichokes into approximately 1/2 inch thick slices. Cut the peeled fresh chestnuts nuts in half.

Place both artichokes and Chestnuts in a medium-sized oven proof roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Dot butter throughout the mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the pan in the preheated oven. Allow the mixture to cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally, until the artichokes are caramelized and the chestnuts are golden brown. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Serve as a side to the pan seared caribou loin with Saskatoon berry sauce.

Pairing Notes

Description: Meritage (which rhymes with “heritage”) is a North American term for a wine that is made like a French Bordeaux blend. The main grapes used in this blend are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It’s a full-bodied wine with a big, mouth-filling texture, lots of fruity, dark berry and plum flavours, and a long finish. It is also a bit peppery and has lots of tannins, which leaves a dry, astringent feeling in your mouth.

Pairing: The Meritage works with the caribou for 2 reasons: body and taste. Caribou is a rich, big-flavoured, fill-your-mouth kind of meat, and the Meritage is a full-bodied, fill-your-mouth kind of wine. And the tannins in the wine are smoothed out by the protein in the meat. As for the taste, the ripe, juicy berry flavour of the Meritage matches the berries in the sauce. And the sauce has a splash of the Meritage right in it, so they work perfectly together. The wine has also been aged in oak barrels, which gives it a rich flavour that matches really well with the nuttiness of the chestnuts and the Jerusalem artichokes.

Wine Suggestion: Reif Estate Meritage V.Q.A. (Niagara Peninsula, Canada)