This dish was cooked for us by Mitch Tonks at his restaurant The Seahorse in Dartmouth, Devon.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 violet artichokes, peeled and halved
2 bay leaves
A sprig of thyme
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Juice of a lemon
100ml pomace oil
150ml olive oil
Flavourless oil for frying
Flour, to dust the artichokes
Salsa verde:
A bunch of spring onions, cut on the bias
½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced thinly
1 tbsp chopped capers
1 tbsp chopped gherkins
A handful of finely sliced green olives
1 tbsp chopped mixed herbs (tarragon, mint, parsley and chives)
Lemon juice
4 tbsp sweet vinegar (Mitch suggests agrodolce or moscatel vinegar)
100ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place the artichokes, bay leaves, thyme garlic, lemon and the two oils in a dish, and cook, covered, in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until the artichokes are tender (the pomace oil prevents the olive oil burning and tainting the flavour).
For the salsa verde, the idea is crunch, freshness and mixed textures, so to get the best out of this, slice everything nice and fine. Prepare the ingredients and mix loosely with olive oil, balance the flavour with salt, lemon and the sweet vinegar.
Finish the dish by dusting the cooked artichokes with flour and deep frying until crisp. Place the salsa verde on a plate and spread out in the middle, then place the crisp artichokes on top.