Smoked Sunchoke, Black Garlic BBQ Sauce and Dill

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 lb Sunchokes
​Dill
​8 cloves Black Garlic
​2 Tbs Black Bean Garlic Sauce 

1/2 tsp Five Spice powder
​1/2 cup of Shao Xing rice
1/4 Hoisin sauce
3 Tbs Agave Honey
2/3 cup Soy sauce
​1/2 cup White Sugar

Start with the black garlic, peel and finely mince. Put garlic, rice wine, hoisin sauce, honey, sugar, bean sauce, and spice in a blender and puree.

Simmer the mixture in a large saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes until it bubbles and sauce begins to thicken. Alternatively, cook in Thermomix for 10 minutes, 212 degrees, speed 1. Set aside and start preparing the Sunchokes. 

Set the smoker at 350 degrees and use fruitwood for flavor. While you wait for the smoker to heat up. scrub the sunchokes thoroughly. Make sure that you rinse of all the dirt. When clean, cut the sunchokes in half. Pour 3 Tbs of Olive oil into an over-proof pan.

Place sunchokes cut-side down in the pan and insert into smoker. Smoke the sunchokes for 20 minutes until they have softened slightly and browned. Turn and smoke for another 15 minutes.

After about 35 minutes, remove pan from smoker. Dip the sunchokes into the BBQ sauce and make sure that they are covered in sauce. Place them in the pan again and smoke for 5 minutes. Repeat this procedure one more time. Cut the thick stalk from dill and chop. Sprinkle dill over sunchokes.

Serve while hot. This is a perfect appetizer or a side dish for Asian short-ribs, pork-belly or even steak.  The smoky flavor, together with the sweet sauce and the crispness of the dill makes this an all-time favorite. And it is 100% vegan!!