Peel back an artichoke's petals and inside you'll find its tender heart, ready to star in an abundance of simple recipes.
We like to serve them at the start of a meal — imagine a table laid with small plates; perhaps a soft fresh cheese, some charcuterie and crusty bread — all to be shared with friends over a bottle of rosé. That's exactly where artichokes fit in.
They're lovely quickly blanched, ready to dip into melted butter or a mustard vinaigrette. But this season, our head chef Guillaume offers his recipe for Artichokes à la Grecque, a simple method for sautéing artichokes with butter and lemon.
Technique — how to peel an artichoke
Trim the stem from each artichoke, then gently peel off all of its leaves.
Carefully use a small paring knife to peel away any excess skin, until it's left only with its core.
Use a spoon to remove the fluffy choke.
Place the peeled artichokes into a bowl of water and lemon juice, until you’re ready to cook them, to prevent browning.
Recipe — Artichokes à la Grecque
Ingredients
4 globe artichokes
Butter
100ml chicken stock
A lemon
Method
Slice the peeled artichokes into quarters.
In a small frying pan, warm a large knob of butter until it sizzles, then add the quartered artichokes.
Fry until golden brown on each side and then add 100ml of chicken stock to deglaze the pan.
Cook the artichokes until fork tender and then season with salt, plenty of pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Arrange artichokes onto a small serving plate with a lemon cheek on the side.