Serves 4-6

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oval shallots 3, large

olive oil 2 tbsp

vegetable stock 250ml

Jerusalem artichokes 400g

small waxy potatoes 250g

plain flour 3 tbsp

medium dry cider 250ml

grain mustard 2 tsp

thyme leaves 2 tsp

parsley leaves 4 tbsp, chopped

cheddar grated, 150g

breadcrumbs a handful

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1. Peel the shallots and halve them lengthways. Warm the olive oil in a wide, shallow pan, add the shallots and let them soften and colour to a pale gold, turning them over from time to time. Remove them from the pan, leaving the oil in place. (You will need the pan again.) Pour the stock into a saucepan and warm over a moderate heat.

2. Peel the artichokes, slice them thinly, no thicker than a pound coin, then add them to the empty shallot pan over a moderate heat. Allow them to colour lightly. (You may need to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your pan.) Cut the potatoes into thick coins and stir them in, lower the heat, cover with a lid in then cook for a further 10 minutes. Scatter the flour over the vegetables and continue cooking for a couple of minutes, then pour in the cider and stock and bring to the boil.

3. Stir in the grain mustard, shallots, thyme and parsley, season generously with salt and black pepper and continue to simmer, partially covered with a lid, for a few minutes, adding a little more stock or cider as necessary, until you have a sauce of medium thickness. Stir in half the grated cheese.

4. Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Transfer the potato mixture to a shallow baking dish, scatter over the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes.

Note

Knobbly artichokes are the very devil to peel. I don’t think we have to be too pernickety about it, though. Better to leave a little skin in situ than lose half your tuber to the vegetable peeler.