Mark Diacono
LATIN NAME
Cynara scolymus
SEASONALITY
May–September
Inside the immature flowerhead of this most majestic of veg patch plants lies a heart of the most incredible, succulent, sweet, earthy loveliness. Unfortunately, however, globe artichokes seem to have been created with the sole aim of denying us their delicious centre.
They come with armour plating, their petals ranging from deeply scarring to outright digit-removing in their sharpness and, once you get past those obstructions, you’ll find a furry, irritating layer – not for nothing called the ‘choke’. All of this can be tackled, however, with a little robust knifework and a bowl of water with the juice of a lemon added (to prevent the prepared artichokes discolouring).
For artichokes the size of a cricket ball or larger, cut the stem to 2cm in length, lay the artichoke on its side and slice through the petals about 4cm up from the base of the flower. I find a serrated bread knife is the best tool to use for this tough task, but do watch your fingers. Strip off all the remaining petals and remove any tough remnants of them with a knife. Use a sharp teaspoon to wheedle out the furry choke from the centre of the flower. What remains should resemble a wide, squat, pale green wine glass: this is the heart.
Most often, I poach artichoke hearts in a little wine and water until they just take the point of a sharp knife. They are wonderful in salads, in pasta sauces, and eaten with good bread, cheese, pickles and so on. The same can be said for the oil-preserved artichoke hearts you can buy in the shops – and perfectly good they are too, albeit lacking a little of the subtlety of the freshly prepared variety. I tend to go for roasted or char-grilled jarred artichokes, which have a richer flavour, and I look for those preserved in olive oil – more expensive but much more delicious than those in bland sunflower oil.
Vignarola – a light, bright stew – is perhaps my favourite recipe for freshly prepared artichoke hearts and is one of those delicious and satisfying dishes that bend to whatever the season and your larder offer. Soften a few sliced spring onions in a generous splash of olive oil, along with a couple of finely sliced garlic cloves. Add a handful of chopped pancetta or bacon and cook, stirring often, until it is lightly browned. Cut your raw artichoke hearts into quarters and add to the pan then pour in enough wine, cider, water or stock to cover them. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes or so. Season and add a couple of handfuls of whatever vegetables you fancy – broad beans, peas, mangetout, runner beans, etc. – and cook until the veg are just tender. Serve warm, scattered with gremolata, or chopped mint and parsley, and trickle with olive oil and lemon juice.
You can eat the petals of the artichoke too – or, at least, the fleshy base of the petals. I have to confess, I love the celebratory kerfuffle that comes with serving whole, cooked globe artichokes for those around the table to demolish themselves. Preparation is straightforward: slice through the base of the artichoke just above the stem, only enough to ensure a small flat base, not to release all the petals. Cook in plenty of boiling water until the base takes the point of a sharp knife – this can be 20–50 minutes depending on the artichoke’s size and freshness.
The artichokes are then ready to be served with a simple dressing – try a vinaigrette, anchovy butter, or melted butter with lemon thyme – and plenty of salt and pepper. Each head can be stripped of its armour, one petal at a time, and dipped into the dressing. You then scrape the succulent flesh from the base of each petal with your teeth. It makes for a slow, satisfying, convivial and messy feast, made all the finer by a glass of crisp white wine. (When eating artichokes like this, better to concentrate more on the wine and less on the shirt you’re wearing.)
Artichokes can also be barbecued. Boil them whole until just shy of readiness, halve lengthways and scrape out any choke. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper (and a little smoked paprika if you fancy) and barbecue, cut side down, for 3–5 minutes. Serve with a good, punchy vinaigrette.
For small artichokes, roughly the size and shape of a large egg, strip off the petals and any leaves, until only a smooth, bullet-like, pale green-yellow centre remains. Cut away any pieces of hard petal from around the base, then cut the artichoke in half lengthways, removing any just-developing choke.
At their smallest, youngest and freshest like this, globe artichokes can be left uncooked, and dipped in whichever dressing takes your fancy. They are a fabulous early-season treat, largely reserved for those who grow them. This is, thankfully, a very easy project if you start with small plants (much easier than raising them from seed). Any artichokes that you leave unharvested produce the most gorgeous purple flowers that will draw bees and any number of other pollinators into your garden.
ARTICHOKE HEART AND POTATO SALAD
Make this in early summer when the first of the new potatoes and globe artichokes arrive. Mint and lemon work well with both, while the use of pungent hemp oil takes the dish in a deliciously nutty direction. Serve on its own with bread, or as a side dish with air-dried ham or salami, or grilled flatfish. Serves 4 as a starter
8 globe artichokes (roughly cricket-ball size)
About 400g young new potatoes, scrubbed
A small bunch of mint, leaves finely chopped, stems reserved
Juice of 1 lemon, plus extra for preparing the artichokes
2 tbsp hempseed oil
½ tsp caster sugar
2 tsp shelled hempseeds, toasted
Sea salt and black pepper
For this recipe, you want to start with the raw hearts of the artichokes, so prepare them as described for Artichoke, globe (third paragraph). Cut each prepared raw heart in half (or quarters, if they are particularly large) and drop into water acidulated with the juice of a lemon.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and mint stalks and cook for 12–15 minutes or until just tender. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the artichoke hearts to the same simmering pan of water and cook for 8–10 minutes, or until just tender.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them thickly into a bowl. Once cooked, drain the artichokes and add them to the potatoes.
Combine the lemon juice, hempseed oil, chopped mint leaves and sugar with some salt and pepper. Trickle this dressing over the warm potatoes and artichokes, tumble everything together and finish with a scattering of toasted hempseeds. Allow to cool to room temperature, which will help all the flavours to develop, before serving.
