Guy’s baby artichokes with peas, mint & lemon
While their larger counterparts need a little more care, time and thought, baby globe artichokes are beautifully tender, and you can turn out a simple spring lunch with very little effort. A quick peel, trim and quartering, and they’re ready to be pan-fried in olive oil, where they crisp and irresistibly caramelise around the edges. Peas, mint and a generous squeeze of lemon add fragrant freshness.
Ingredients
- 500g baby artichokes
- 200g of garden peas (or 80g, once podded)
- 8-10 mint leaves
- olive oil
- salt
Method
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Step 1
To prepare the artichokes, pull away the outer leaves, breaking them off as near to the base as possible, until the lower half of the remaining leaves are a creamy colour and tender rather than green and hard. Cut off the top third with a sharp knife, leaving the cream-coloured bottom section. Trim the stalk, cutting away the tough green outer layer to reveal paler flesh beneath. Quarter the artichokes and pop them in water acidulated with a squeeze of lemon juice until ready to cook.
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Step 2
Pop the peas out of their pods. Roughly slice the mint.
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Step 3
Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the artichokes, season generously with salt, and fry over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until the hearts start to feel tender to a knife tip and the edges are starting to colour and crisp.
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Step 4
Throw in the peas and cook for a further few minutes until they are tender. Finish with the chopped mint and a dramatic squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and tweak the seasoning and lemon to your liking. Eat immediately.