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Jerusalem artichokes can be a nuisance to peel, so don't go crazy trying to do it. I peeled where I could and left the rest of the peels on, and the skin was not at all an impediment.
Serves 8
30 minutes preparation time
45 minutes cooking time
For the stew:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 leek, white and light green part, sliced lengthwise, rinsed, and sliced across into half moons
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 medium carrots, scrubbed and sliced across on a diagonal
1 turnip, peeled and cut into cubes
2 cups peeled and seeded butternut squash (about 1 small one)
4 cups (roughly) peeled and chopped Jerusalem artichokes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
2 strips lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
5 cups vegetable stock
For the biscuit top:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into a few pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
Heat the olive oil in a heavy, oven-proof stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, and garlic, and sauté until they begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, the marjoram and the salt and stir together. Pour on the broth, add the lemon zest, and raise the heat to medium high. Bring the stew to a boil. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer on the stove top until the vegetables are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
While the stew is cooking, prepare the biscuit dough. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and thyme in a large bowl. Mix in the butter with your hands, squeezing it between your fingers until it is the texture of coarse cornmeal. The more hands that help, the quicker this will go. Slowly stir in the buttermilk a bit at a time, using just enough to get the mixture to hold together. You may need a splash more or less than the measured amount.
Knead the dough for about a minute. Pat it out on the counter until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Carefully lift the dough and drape it over the top of the stew pot. Move it to the oven and bake until the dough is golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Serve immediately.