Artichoke hearts stuffed with spinach and mushrooms

Fresh artichokes take some time to prepare but they are well worth the effort for this exceptional dish. For convenience, you can prepare and cook them the day before, ready to assemble with the cooked spinach and mushrooms shortly before serving. Serve the dish as a starter or vegetable side dish with grilled or barbecued meat. (Illustrated overleaf.)

SERVES 4

4 large Breton globe artichokes (about 300g each)

1 lemon, cut in half, plus the juice of ¼ lemon

60g butter

150g button mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp cloth and finely sliced

200g baby spinach leaves, stems removed, well washed, drained and patted dry

A generous pinch of caster sugar

250ml béchamel sauce (½ quantity)

80g Gruyère or Emmenthal, finely grated

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Break or cut off the stems from the artichokes. Remove the outside leaves from the base of each artichoke, by holding each leaf firmly between your thumb and forefinger and twisting it towards the base of the heart. Once you have removed approximately 20 leaves from the base of each, pare each heart using a small, very sharp knife to even out the base until almost flat, and to expose the flesh.

Using a serrated knife, cut off the top part of each artichoke, about 4cm from the base, so removing the clump of leaves found in the middle of each. Using a small knife, pare around the top part of each heart again to neaten them, as for the bases. Rub each heart with one of the lemon halves to prevent them from turning brown. Immediately immerse the artichoke hearts in a bowl containing enough cold water to cover, with the juice from the lemon half (used for rubbing) added.

Bring a saucepan filled with lightly salted water to the boil. Drain the artichoke hearts and add them to the boiling water. As soon as the water returns to the boil, add the other lemon half, cut into 4 pieces. Cook the artichoke hearts over a medium heat for 30 minutes. To check that they are cooked, insert the tip of a knife into one: it should slide in without any difficulty. Transfer the artichoke hearts and their cooking water to a bowl and set aside.

Heat 20g of the butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat, add the mushrooms with a little salt and the lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Tip into a bowl and set aside.

Heat the remaining butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spinach with the sugar and a pinch of salt and cook for 2 minutes, turning it every 30 seconds with tongs or a fork. Drain well in a colander and set aside in a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

Reheat the béchamel in a saucepan over a gentle heat. As soon as it is bubbling, remove from the heat and mix in the grated cheese. Set aside, covered with cling film, to keep hot.

Drain the artichoke hearts. Using your thumb or a soup spoon, remove the choke part from each heart. Grind some pepper over each artichoke, then place in an ovenproof dish.

Spoon a little cheese sauce into the base of each artichoke. Divide the spinach between the artichokes then cover with a little dome of sliced mushrooms. Spoon over some sauce to coat, but not too much; you should be able to see a few mushrooms and spinach leaves here and there.

Place the dish in the oven and bake for 8–10 minutes until the topping is lightly gratinated; if necessary, finish under a hot grill for 30 seconds. Serve straight away, with any remaining cheesy béchamel in a jug on the side.