Sunchoke mousse

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 3/4 lb Sunchokes -(jerusalem artichokes)
2/3 c Fromage blanc OR
2/3 c Cottage cheese lowfat
1/2 ts Salt
1/8 ts Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Maniere serve a steamed sirloin steak with a mousse made from pureed

steamed sunchokes, low in fat because it's enriched with low-fat

cheese instead of cream. Steamed sunchokes make a magnificent buttery,

ivory-colored puree, silky smooth, nutty, and pleasantly sweet, like a

delicious winter squash. This low-fat recipe is superb, but if you

like, you can replace the cheese with a quarter cup of creme fraiche

(or the same amount of heavy cream mixed with half a teaspoon of

fresh lemon juice) and two to three tablespoons of butter. Serve this

mousse with fish and poultry dishes as well. Maniere made the mousse

up to an hour before the steak and then reheated it, in its serving

bowl, in a second steaming compartment, while the steak steamed. If

you don't have a steamer with two compartments, reheat the mousse in

another steamer or in a saucepan over low heat. Put the sunchokes on the steamer rack place over simmering water cover and steam until tender about 25 minutes. Remove from the steamer let cool slightly and then peel with a pairing knife. Put the sunchokes into the bowl of a food processor add the fromage blanc or cottage cheese salt and pepper and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl to keep warm in the steamer or transfer to a saucepan and set aside. Source: "Cuisine a la Vapeur: The Art of Cooking with Steam" by Jacques Maniere; translated by Stephanie Lyness