Hélianthi, does that make you think of Helianthus? Helianthus strumosus, its Latin name, is indeed from same family as sunflower and offers a sunny flowering similar to it. But hélianthi is edible, and it is its beige-coloured tubercules that interest us in cooking, as they have a very delicate flavour, close to Jerusalem artichoke, its cousin.
Helianthi is one of those forgotten vegetables we would like to see more often on our plates. Here is a little more about this ancient root vegetable and how to cook it: it hides many treasures...
Hélianthi, who are you?
Certainly a vegetable of the future, because it requires almost no watering and will become indispensable in vegetable gardens of tomorrow. Hélianthi still carries, for those who know it, that negative image of a wartime vegetable, like other root vegetables such as rutabaga or Jerusalem artichoke.
Native to North America and hardy, hélianthi is both a root vegetable and a perennial related to sunflowers, tall, bringing a sunny flowering and a strong presence at back of borders. Fleshy rootstocks are prolific; they are spindle-shaped, slightly striate and irregular, larger than Jerusalem artichokes. It can remain in place for many years and, in that respect, is part of the perpetual vegetable garden. Beware, however, to keep it under control, as it quickly spreads: rootstocks not lifted multiply rapidly, even becoming invasive. Planted in vegetable patch, its height can provide shade and coolth for leafy vegetables, for example.
In terms of benefits, it is rich in vitamin B1, potassium, phosphorus, fibre and minerals. And for artichoke lovers, this vegetable has that unique, very delicate, slightly sweet flavour that would be a pity to miss in the kitchen!
When and how to harvest?
Helianthi flowers for many months, from late summer to October, and is harvested in winter, from November until March, as soon as first frosts have arrived and foliage begins to blacken. By then it will have produced tubercules in quantity.
Lift them with a digging fork to avoid damaging them with a sharp blade. Take a reasonable quantity of tubercules according to your needs, as they keep rather poorly once dug up. Conversely, they can remain in soil, since they suffer absolutely no harm from frost.
How to store?
Helianthi does not like being stored for more than 3–4 days. Ideally cook tubercules just after harvest, because they tend to soften, unless you have a cellar where you can keep them in slightly damp sand. If you cannot eat them straight away, keep them wrapped in a cloth in vegetable drawer of fridge. But best is to pull tubercules as needed.
How to cook?
Helianthi's very delicate flavour allows for delightful culinary discoveries and pairings. I discovered this vegetable in a shop working locally and organically near me this winter, and I simply tried it as a creamy velouté... delicious!
Preparation: tubercules should be peeled, which is not always easy as they are irregular and knobbly (but much less so than Jerusalem artichokes). You can simply brush them with a small vegetable brush, but personally I prefer to peel them, even if that takes a bit more time. Once peeled, soak tubercules in lemoned water to prevent darkening, as with most of these heirloom vegetables, before cooking.
Preferred cooking methods: in salted boiling water, or steamed, or pan-fried or roasted in oven. Monitor cooking with a knife, as hélianthi cooks fairly quickly.
Recipe ideas
You will see that this much-forgotten vegetable should no longer be forgotten, as it lends itself to many winter dishes and treats...
- sautéed in butter like scorzonera (another delight!), you can add a few pods of garlic or finely chopped shallot, and finish with flat-leaf parsley or chervil; or glazed like turnips, with a pinch of sugar and juice of an orange to reveal its slight sweetness!
- as a velouté: add one or two potatoes as I do to bind the soup, and a generous spoonful of double cream. Season with pepper and salt, and enjoy this ultra-comforting winter soup. A deluxe version often includes truffle; you can also garnish with finely diced chorizo or Spanish morcilla: cheaper and just as effective! Discover my recipe in Helianthus soup: a velvety comfort for winter.
- as a purée: boil with a large potato, then blend with a little cooking water and the right amount of salted butter; hélianthi pairs perfectly with meats and poultry such as duck, and also with oily fish like salmon.
- in a gratin: thinly sliced on a mandoline as for a gratin dauphinois, either as a 100% hélianthi version with a little crème fraîche, milk and nutmeg, or teamed with potatoes for a heartier result. Have fun varying winter gratins by preparing a gratin of heirloom vegetables. I particularly like combining Jerusalem artichoke or hélianthi, potatoes, sweet potatoes or heirloom carrots for colour, and rutabaga or golden-ball turnip. My personal touch: a rosemary-infused cream from the garden poured over the vegetables presented as a tian before baking, for unique flavours! Serve gratin piping hot with a salad, or as accompaniment to Sunday roast chicken...
- roasted in oven: either in a salt crust if you have large tubercules, for a melting texture then briefly sautéed in butter, or directly in a dish, cut into thick slices, drizzled with olive oil to obtain slight colouring, even caramelisation.
- in a raclette to replace potato and allow you to help yourself... a little more?
- raw, in a winter salad, which a vinaigrette with walnut oil or pumpkin-seed oil, lightly seasoned, will liven up.
- as a dessert for the most adventurous cooks: reduced to a fine purée combined with vanilla whipped cream or tonka bean, served with a crisp buckwheat or almond tile.
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