Heart of Palm Au Poive

Prepare the Heart of Palm

1. Drain the heart of palm from their liquid and place on an absorbent paper to drain.
2. Using the tip of a pairing knife, make an incision half way through the heart of palm. 
3. Then using your hand open the heart of palm and place flat on the cutting board, incision side down.
4. Using your fingers, press the heart of palm flat as if flattening a book. 
5. Set aside and continue to make the sunchoke sauce. 

Make the Sunchoke Au Poive

1. In a medium sauce pot, heat a ¼ cup of olive oil on medium heat. Cook the sliced sunchokes until gently caramelized, 5-6 minutes, stir frequently. 
2. Add in the shallot and season with salt, cook shallot 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the cashews, and toss to combine, cook 2-3 minutes.
4. Add 1 cup of water and cook until the cashews are tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Transfer the mix to a blender and blend until smooth.
6. Return the sauce to a sauce pot and season with 2 tablespoons of whole peppercorns. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Fry Heart of Palm and Plate

1. Make a dredge of starch and flour, season with salt. Carefully lift the hearts of palm and press into the dredge. It is important to coat in flour on all sides so the heart of palm sticks together.
2. In a saute pan with a small amount of oil, shallow fry the heart of palm until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from oil to drain and season with salt.
3. To plate: Place sauce into the center of the plate and stack the hearts of palms on top. Finish with a few more cracks of pepper. 
4. Enjoy!