Preparing artichokes can seem intimidating, but with the right steps, it’s easy to enjoy this unique and flavourful vegetable. We’ll show you how to prepare artichokes effortlessly, as well as our favourite way to enjoy them!
Number of servings: 2
Cooking time: 1 hour
Preparation time: 2 hours
Ingredients
Artichoke: 3
Lemon: 1
Plain flour: 3 tbs (for dusting)
Vegetable oil: 1L
Orange Chilli Mayo:
Vegetable / Grapeseed oil: 300ml
Red chilli: 5g, finely chopped
Chilli powder: 2 tbs
Sichuan pepper: 1 tbs
Star anise: 1
Orange Zest: 1 tsp
Orange Juice: 20ml
Dijon Mustard: 1 tsp
Egg Yolk: 1
Method
Before you start chopping the artichoke, prepare a bowl of water and a lemon. Halve the lemon and squeeze one half into the water.
To prepare the artichoke hearts, remove the tips and the bottom of the stem with a sharp knife. Trim off the rough outer leaves. Use a paring knife to remove the tough skins until you reach the heart of the artichoke, which should appear paler and yellow. Generously rub the lemon all over the surface to prevent oxidation.
Cut the artichoke into halves and rub with lemon again. Use a spoon to remove the fibres in the middle of the heart. Keep the artichoke halves in the lemon water until ready to cook.
To make the orange chilli mayo, start by making the chilli oil. Toast Sichuan pepper and star anise in a frying pan until fragrant. Place the chilli powder, red chilli, Sichuan pepper, and star anise into a heatproof bowl.
Heat vegetable oil in a stainless steel saucepan until lines start to appear at the bottom. Be careful not to let it smoke. Slowly pour the hot oil into the heatproof bowl with the spices. Let the chilli oil infuse and cool down completely.
Once the chilli oil has cooled, add the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, 20 ml of orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of orange zest into a mixing bowl. Whisk together and gradually add the chilli oil while continuing to whisk to emulsify the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
In a stainless steel saucepan, add vegetable oil until it is 60% full. Heat the oil to 170°C (340°F) over medium-high heat. Dry and coat the artichoke hearts with flour and deep-fry for about 3-5 minutes, until golden.
Toss the fried artichokes with salt and pepper, and serve with the orange chilli mayonnaise. Enjoy!
