Jerusalem Artichokes With Roasted Garlic In A Creamy Cheesy Sauc

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 15
• 3 heads garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 slices bacon, diced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed (optional)
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• lots fresh ground pepper
• 5 lbs jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed peeled and sliced
• 9 ounces aged manchego cheese, coarsely shredded (2 cups)
• 8 ounces smoked gouda cheese, shredded (1 cup)
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 eggs, whisked

Recipe

• 1 place the sun chokes in a cold water bath while preparing the casserole.
• 2 preheat the oven to 375°. in a 9-inch cake pan, drizzle the garlic with the oil. cover with foil and roast for 40 minutes, until tender.
• 3 meanwhile fry bacon till crisp in a very large frying pan.
• 4 remove bacon set aside. to the bacon fat in the pan add the butter and sauté the onions till translucent about 5 minutes.
• 5 stir in the flour to coat the onions then stir in the cream.
• 6 once the garlic is cool enough to handle squeeze out the cloves.
• 7 mash the garlic to a paste and transfer to a cream mixture.
• 8 add parsley, fennel seed, rosemary and simmer.
• 9 add the cheeses except for 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella.
• 10 stir some of the sauce into the eggs then add to the mixture.
• 11 stir in the bacon pieces keeping 1/3 for the topping.
• 12 season the mixture with salt and pepper.
• 13 remove the sun chokes from the water and place into the sauce. stir to coat them. (no need to dry the sun choke.).
• 14 place into a buttered the sides and bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• 15 top with the remaining cheese and bacon
• 16 bake the gratin for about 1-1 1/2 hours, until golden and bubbling. cover loosely with foil if browning too much.
• 17 let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.