The recipe
You will need a whole Tunworth or camembert in its thin wooden box. Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6.
Peel a couple of medium-sized red onions and cut them into about 8 segments and put them in a mixing bowl. Peel 700g of jerusalem artichokes, cut them in half and drop them into a bowl of cold water to which you have added the juice of half a lemon. The acidity will stop them browning.
Scrunch a sheet of kitchen foil tightly around the base and sides of the box holding the cheese, then place in a roasting tin.
Drain the artichokes, add them to the onions and pour in 5 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Remove the needles from 2 sprigs of rosemary and finely chop them, then add to the bowl with 4 sprigs of thyme and toss everything together.
Tip the vegetables around the cheese and bake for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and toasted and the cheese is molten under its crust. Serve the vegetables, spooning the cheese over them. Serves 2.
The trick
Check that the box is the sort secured with staples rather than glue. The latter will come open in the oven. Wrapping the base and sides of the box tightly in a layer of kitchen foil helps to secure the cheese and catch any that might ooze from its crust. If the cheese is ready before the rest, then carefully remove it and keep it warm, then put the vegetables in for 10 minutes longer.
The twist
Use small, halved potatoes in place of artichokes, but cook them for a little longer. Serve the dish fondue-style, dipping the vegetables into the hot cheese with your fingers.
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