Jerusalem artichoke with Baron Bigod custard (by The Black Swan at Oldstead head-chef Will Lockwood)

Will Lookwood, head chef of renowned Michelin-starred The Black Swan at Oldstead has created a fabulous dish using Jerusalem artichokes and Baron Bigod Brie. You can recreate this at home by following Will’s slightly simplified recipe below, most of which can be prepared in advance.

Serves two as a starter

Part 1: Pickled Jerusalem artichoke

• Ingredients
  10 Jerusalem artichokes
  100ml white wine, 100ml white wine vinegar, 50g sugar, combined to make the pickling liquor
• Method
  Bring the pickling liquor to a boil, and then chill
  Clean the artichokes
  Slice the artichokes into 2mm slices
  Cut into your desired shape (you can use a small biscuit cutter or by hand) and place straight into pickling liquor
  Leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight

Part 2: Fried Jerusalem artichoke skins

• Ingredients
  6 Jerusalem artichokes
  Salt
• Method
  Bake the artichokes on rock salt for 1 hour at 160C
  Slice the artichokes in half and remove the flesh, gently scraping until there is as little flesh as possible on the skin, without making holes
  Fry the artichokes skins in oil at 180C, turning regularly to achieve an even colour
  Drain, mould back into shape and season lightly with salt

Part 3: Baron Bigod Brie custard

• Ingredients
  100ml whipping cream
  2 egg yolks
  ½ tsp of Dijon mustard
  70g Baron Bigod, sliced into thin slices
• Method
  Beat the egg yolks with the mustard. Boil the cream, then pour over the egg yolks whisking
  continuously. Return to a gentle heat and add the Baron Bigod. Keep whisking until the custard
  thickens (it should coat the back of spoon)
  Drain through a sieve to remove lumps and cool in a fridge
  Season with salt and pepper

Part 4: Roasted Shallot and Roasted Yeast powder

• Ingredients
  3 shallots
  18g roasted yeast powder (or you can use readily available yeast seasoning)
  3g Salt
• Method
  Roast the shallots in 180C oven, with a tiny amount of oil coating the shallots, until golden brown
  (not too dark)
  Blitz into a powder with roasted yeast and salt

Part 5: Assembly of the final dish

• Place the fried skins onto a plate and fill with Baron Bigod Custard, arranged the pickled artichoke
  slices on top and dust with the shallot and yeast powder