Halving your artichokes before steaming helps them cook more evenly and makes them cook much faster.
SERVES 2–4
- 2 globe artichokes
- 1 lemon
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 black peppercorns
- 15g wild garlic
- 75g butter
- Pinch of sea salt
- Use a bread knife to slice the top 3cm (i.e. all the spiky tips) off the globe artichokes. Trim 1cm from the stem and run a veg peeler along the rest of the stem to remove the outer layer.
- Halve the artichoke horizontally. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the fuzzy choke in the centre of each half. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the cut sides.
- Pour a shallow pool of water in a pot. Add a bay leaf and a few peppercorns. Pop a steamer basket on top, add the artichokes and cover.
- Steam for approx. 20 mins; the timing depends on the size of your artichoke.
- Test to see if they’re done by probing the base with the pointy end of a knife; when it’s tender, it’s done.
- Remove from the steamer and let cool while you whip up a garlic butter to dip the artichoke leaves in.
- Finely chop the wild garlic. Melt a lump of butter and add the chopped wild garlic with a pinch of salt.
- To eat, strip off the leaves and nibble the sort of meaty bits at the end of each leaf (the pale bit). Use your teeth to scrape it off and make sure you dip it in butter first.
- Once you get to the centre, scrape out the fuzzy choke. Halve the heart, dunk in butter and devour.