Roast artichokes with garlic, sage, hazelnuts & lemon & fennel mayo

Summer

Sitting down to a plate of globe artichokes is more an experience than a meal. It’s all fingers, butter, chins and smiles. To eat, work through the outer artichoke leaves first – pull them off, dip them in the lemony mayonnaise, then use your teeth to scrape the delicate flesh from the base. When you reach the hearts, squeeze some of the roast garlic out over some good bread or toast, top with a generous spoonful of the mayonnaise, followed by a few cracked hazelnuts. Finally, top with slices of the soft, buttery heart. It’s delicious.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 large, heavy globe artichokes
6–8 small-to-medium wet or green garlic bulbs, tops trimmed
25g (1oz) butter
50g (2oz) hazelnuts, lightly bashed
1 generous handful of small sage leaves
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the mayonnaise

½ small garlic clove, peeled and grated
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon English mustard
juice and finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
½ teaspoon toasted fennel seeds, ground
175ml (5½fl oz) sunflower oil
75ml (2¼fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small bunch of fennel tops, chopped

Method

First, make the mayonnaise. Place the garlic, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and zest and fennel seeds in a food processor. Season and whiz for 30 seconds. Combine the oils in a jug. With the processor running, slowly add them to the mixture, a few drops at a time at first, then in a trickle. Once you’ve added all the oil, you should have a thick, glossy mayo that holds its shape. Stir in the chopped fennel tops, taste and add more salt, pepper, mustard or lemon, if required. If the mayo seems too thick, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of warm water. Set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the artichokes (in batches, if necessary) and bring back to a simmer. Simmer for 15–40 minutes (depending on size and freshness) with the lid on, until the bases of the artichokes take the point of a knife. Lift from the water and set aside to cool. Add the garlic bulbs to the same boiling water and bring back to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the garlic and allow to cool a little, too.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Use a large knife to cut each artichoke in half from top to bottom. Use a teaspoon to remove the hairy chokes from the centres and remove any bigger, loose leaves from around the outside. Arrange the hearts and the garlic bulbs over a large roasting tray. Place a little butter inside each artichoke half. Scatter over the hazelnuts and sage leaves. Trickle the olive oil over everything and season well.

Place the tray in the oven and roast, turning everything once or twice, for 30–35 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and bring to the table with the mayonnaise and some good bread.

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