Stewed Artichokes with Spices and Apricots and Other Things Recipe
Ingredients
| 4 large globe artichokes | ||
| Juice of 1 lemon, lemon peel reserved | ||
| Garlic | 2 Clove (5gm), finley sliced | |
| Black peppercorns | 10 To taste | |
| Coriander seeds | 12 , toasted | |
| Turmeric | 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Cayenne pepper | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Cumin seeds | 1/2 Teaspoon, toasted | |
| 2 onions, cut in eighths | ||
| Bay leaves | 2 | |
| Olive oil | 50 Milliliter | |
| Pinch of saffron strands, soaked in a little cold water | ||
| Carrots | 2 , sliced | |
| Vegetable stock | 600 Milliliter | |
| Dried apricots | 8 , sliced | |
| Raisins | 50 Gram | |
| Almonds | 25 Gram, sliced | |
| 400 g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed | ||
| Baby spinach | 225 Gram | |
| 2 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander leaves | ||
| 4 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley | ||
Directions
Trim the artichokes by peeling the stem until all woody matter has disappeared.
Pull off all the tough outer leaves until you reach the pale green ones.
Cut off about 2.5 cm from the top of the artichoke.
Cut the artichoke vertically into 4 and cut or pull out the choke.
Rub all the cut surfaces with the lemon peel and place the artichoke quarters in a bowl of water.
Add the lemon juice.
Using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, crush the garlic, peppercorns, coriander seeds, turmeric, cayenne and cumin seeds.
In a saucepan, cook the onions and bay leaves in the olive oil over a medium heat until they have softened but not coloured, this should take about 8 minutes.
Add the spice mix and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Add the drained artichokes and the saffron with its soaking liquor and toss to combine.
Add the carrots, half the vegetable stock, the apricots, raisins and almonds and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Add more stock as necessary.
When the artichokes are tender, add the chickpeas, spinach, coriander leaves and parsley and stir to combine.
Cook until the spinach has wilted.
Season with black pepper to taste.
Serve hot or cold with steamed couscous.
Pull off all the tough outer leaves until you reach the pale green ones.
Cut off about 2.5 cm from the top of the artichoke.
Cut the artichoke vertically into 4 and cut or pull out the choke.
Rub all the cut surfaces with the lemon peel and place the artichoke quarters in a bowl of water.
Add the lemon juice.
Using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, crush the garlic, peppercorns, coriander seeds, turmeric, cayenne and cumin seeds.
In a saucepan, cook the onions and bay leaves in the olive oil over a medium heat until they have softened but not coloured, this should take about 8 minutes.
Add the spice mix and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Add the drained artichokes and the saffron with its soaking liquor and toss to combine.
Add the carrots, half the vegetable stock, the apricots, raisins and almonds and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Add more stock as necessary.
When the artichokes are tender, add the chickpeas, spinach, coriander leaves and parsley and stir to combine.
Cook until the spinach has wilted.
Season with black pepper to taste.
Serve hot or cold with steamed couscous.
Chef
