SPRING RAGOUT OF ARTICHOKES, ASPARAGUS, AND PRESERVED LEMON
18 MINUTES (10 ACTIVE)
4 SERVINGS AND 1 LUNCH THE NEXT DAY
In my world, one measure of true love is prepping an artichoke (or several) for another person, presenting nothing but the delicious, digestible heart. You might, then, think of this recipe as an edible love note: it’s a celebration of the artichoke, framed by asparagus and seasoned with salty flecks of preserved lemon. Although I encourage paring fresh artichoke hearts (search “prep baby artichokes” on bonappetit.com), there are a couple of less labor-intensive options: frozen artichoke hearts are very nice but a little hard to find. You can also prepare this dish with canned artichoke hearts or bottoms (not the marinated artichokes that are packed in vinegar, though). Rinse them well before use; two cans should work in this recipe. If you do use canned artichokes, you may want to add a bit more olive oil as a condiment before serving.
• 6 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices, or 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 large leek (white and light green parts), cut into ½-inch slices
• Fine sea salt to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped, or 1 teaspoon chopped green garlic
• 4 large artichokes, pared to the hearts, chokes removed, hearts cut into 2-inch wedges
• 1½ pounds asparagus, tough ends snapped off, cut on the bias into 3-inch lengths
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons preserved lemon peel,* julienned (from half a lemon), or 2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon peel
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Piquillo Romesco Sauce, for garnish
*Preserved lemons can be purchased at specialty grocers and Middle Eastern markets and online.
Heat 5 teaspoons of the oil in a large covered saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and leek plus 1 tablespoon water and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the leek has wilted. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 more minute, then place the artichokes in the pan. Add another pinch of salt, stir to coat, and then pour in 1 cup water. Cover and cook until artichokes are tender but not mushy, about 8 minutes. (If using canned artichokes, cut the cooking time down to 5 minutes.) Add the asparagus, cover, and cook for 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender; remove from the heat. Taste the ragout and add salt and pepper, if desired.
To make the parsley salad, in a small bowl, combine the preserved lemon peel, parsley, and 1 teaspoon oil. Toss and season with salt and black pepper.
To serve, top the ragout with the parsley salad and garnish with the romesco sauce.