Artichokes Braised in Olive Oil and White Wine

Preparation is easy

Yield: 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 3 lemons
• 8 large artichokes
• 1 onion, peeled
• 2 small leeks, trimmed and outer leaves discarded
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 small carrots, peeled
• 2 slices bacon
• ½ cup olive oil (125 millilitres)
• salt and pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 springs fresh tarragon
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 ¾ cups white wine (425 millilitres)

Directions

1. Fill a large bowl with water and squeeze in the juice of 2 ½ lemons.
2. Trim the artichokes, leaving the heart, and rub from time to time with the remaining half lemon to prevent them going brown.
3. Put the trimmed artichokes in the lemon water.
4. Slice the onion thinly and quarter the leeks lengthwise.
5. Cut the into thin strips.
6. Thinly slice the celery and carrots. There should be equal amounts of onion, leeks, celery.
7. Render the bacon for a couple of minutes and then add ¼ cup olive oil.
8. Add the onion, leeks, celery and carrots to the bacon.
9. Add a pinch of salt and cook the vegetables over medium low heat for about 20 minutes.
10. Add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding the drained artichokes.
11. Add some salt and pepper, olive oil to coat the artichokes and the bay leaves.
12. Add half the tarragon and thyme. Mix gently.
13. Pour in the wine and enough water to cover and bring the liquid to a simmer.
14. Partly cover the pot and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
15. Chop the remaining tarragon and thyme and add to the artichokes.
16. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.