A properly prepared artichoke is one of life’s true luxury foods. They require some much dexterity to peel them with a turning knife; legend has it that at Ducasse, only the sous chefs are allowed to prepare them. Whisking some salted butter and chopped soft herbs into the barigoule makes for the perfect accompaniment to fish or chicken.
INGREDIENTS
- 12 medium sized artichokes
- 3 lemons (1 of them finely sliced)
- ½ cups olive oil
- 3 shallots (finely sliced)
- 5 cloves of garlic (finely sliced)
- 3 carrots (peeled and finely sliced)
- 1 bulb of fennel (finely sliced)
- 200g dry white wine
- 100g white wine vinegar
- 50g Soy sauce
- ½ a bunch of thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 star anise
- 1 piece kombu
- 30g bonito flakes (optional)
- Salt
METHOD
To peel the artichokes, first you will need a bowl of water with the juice of 2 lemons mixed in. Now hold the artichoke with the stem toward you. Starting at the bottom, snap and peel the leaves off, making sure to only peel off the top part of the leaf leaving the bottom still attached. Continue removing until you reach the light green/yellow leaves. Using a serrated knife, cut off the top third of the artichoke, to the point where the heart begins. Now switch to a turning knife and cut away the tough dark green parts to expose the tender heart. Trim the base and stem. Scoop the fuzzy choke of the artichoke using a spoon. Submerge immediately into the lemon water
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and sweat the shallots with a little bit of salt. When the shallots start to soften add the carrots, garlic and fennel. Continue to cook until they are tender and sweet (You do not want to colour the vegetables). Turn the heat to high and add the white wine, white wine vinegar and soy sauce. Reduce by half. Now add the artichokes, thyme, bay leaves, star anise, kombu, lemon slices and cover with the lemon water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cover with a round of parchment paper. Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes or until just soft. It will continue to cook as the liquid cools so a little undone is ideal, on the other hand a undercooked artichoke will discolour to an unappealing grey. Test for doneness with your small knife, it should offer just a little resistance. If you are using bonito flakes, add them now and allow to cool.
