Globe Artichoke and Mozzarella with Candied Lemon from "Plenty More"

Over the past few months, I have truly found inspiration in the kitchen through Chef Yotam Ottolenghi's amazing collection of recipes in Plenty More. I still find myself flipping through the pages of the book, stopping at new inspirations that I get excited to try. I'm particularly excited for when summertime rolls around because he has so many fabulous recipes that highlight fresh produce from green beans to tomatoes to zucchini. Ah - how fun it will be once those ingredients start showing up (in decent form) in the grocery store. 

However, even now there are some lovely ingredients that are in their peak. Artichokes are one of them - in season from March to May so now is the time to take full advantage of these interesting and delicious vegetables. My typical artichoke experience is a simple steamed whole artichoke served with melted butter for dipping. It's a great appetizer and a fun one at that - taking each leaf and scraping off what little "meat" you can find on each leaf. And unlike many things in life where you find disappointment once you have "reached the end" - the artichoke gives you a pleasant surprise by saving the best part for last - the heart. Ah a fresh artichoke heart is worlds better than anything you can find canned at your local grocery store. It is a bundle of pure, soft, almost creamy bliss. The heart is what is featured in my latest creation from Plenty More: Globe Artichoke and Mozzarella with Candied Lemon.

Who would even think to put these beautiful flavors together? I typically don't use Mozzarella in my salads unless it is paired with tomato and basil. And candied lemon? Well I've never made that so that's a new one for me. But it's basically what hooked me on this recipe as I am a sucker for anything lemon.

With my ingredients laid out in anticipation of joining forces to create a beautiful dish, I stopped to take a moment and appreciate the sunset, one of the most amazing natural inspirations.

Even in the middle of the big city, one can find inspiration in a moment of silent appreciation of natural beauty in the world.

*big sigh*

Now onto the artichokes. I wonder how the experience was for the first person that tried to eat an artichoke. They do not overtly scream "food" with the tough leaves and sharp "hairs." They are certainly not something you would want to just sink your teeth in - I don't think you'd get very far.

In order to properly "trim" an artichoke - you basically have to dissect it. The outer leaves have to be removed. The stem needs to be trimmed. The sharp "hairs' need to be removed. All steps taken to get to the real goods - the heart.

A thing of beauty - but still not ready to be eaten at this stage!

Once trimmed, the small remaining heart joins forces with lemon, onion and thyme to infuse a brightness into the heart during the cooking process.

The candied lemon adds a deeper complexity of lemon flavor to the overall dish. The artichoke is infused with lemon but the candied lemon peel adds a deep, sweet yet zesty note that goes beautifully with the dish.



The most critical thing here is to make sure that you can remove the peel without getting any of the white pith. The white pith = bitterness which is not a desired layer of complexity for this salad!

The lemon rind is sliced thin and simmers with sugar, lemon juice and water until it becomes nearly candy-like in a rich syrup.

 And as Ottolenghi always does, he balances the rich and sweet elements of the salad (cheese, candied lemon) with a mixture of fresh herbs. This recipe calls for basil, parsley and mint. All of which work beautifully together.

The final result is refreshing yet substantial. Good cheese MADE this dish. Ottolenghi calls for Buffalo Mozzarella. This is cheese made from the water buffalo and not a cow - and you can tell the difference! It is creamier and softer with more flavor. It's also pricier so it was a "treat" to have it for this salad. The creaminess of the cheese contrasted wonderfully with the fresh herbs and sweet, zest lemon peel. And still, the artichoke remained the star with its deep but refreshing flavor and creamy bu firm texture. Inspirational!

Globe Artichoke and Mozzarella with Candied Lemon
page 98 in Plenty More
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 large globe artichokes (3.5 lb/1.6 kg)
• 3 lemons, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 4 oz/120 g Little Gem lettuce leaves, cut crosswise into strips 3/8-in/1-cm wide
• 7 oz/200 g buffalo mozzarella
• 1/3 cup/10 g flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup/10 g mint leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup/10 g basil leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup/120 ml olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• salt and black pepper

Candied Lemon:

• 1 lemon
• scant 3 tbsp/35 g superfine sugar

Directions:

1. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove and discard the stem and hard outer leaves. Continue removing the leaves until you reach the heart and then cut the heart in half lengthwise. Use a small, serrated knife to clear the heart of all the inedible bits - tough leaves and hairs - so you are left with a clean shell. As you do this, use the juice of 1 lemon to smear the artichokes so they don't discolor. When all the artichoke hearts are trimmed, put them in a large saucepan, squeeze in the juice of the remaining 2 lemons, and throw in 2 of the squeezed halves, as well. Cover with water , add the bay leaves, thyme onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Drain the artichokes and lemon, discarding the onion, bay, and thyme, and set aside to cool.
2. To prepare the candied lemon, use a vegetable peeler to shave off wide strips of lemon rind; avoid the white pith. Cut the rind into long, paper-thin strips and place them in a small saucepan. Squeeze the lemon, measure the juice, and add water as needed to total 7 tablespoons/100 ml. Pour over the lemon rind, add the sugar, and bring to a light simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the syrup is reduced to about one-third of its original volume. Set aside to cool down.
3. To assemble the dish, cut the artichoke halves into wedge 3/4 inch/2 cm thick and arrange them on a serving platter together with the lettuce. With your hands, break the mozzarella into large, uneven chunks and dot the salad with them. Stir together the herbs, olive oil, and garlic and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt; spoon this over the vegetables and cheese. Use a fork to scatter some candied rind on top and drizzle with a tiny amount of the syrup. Finish with a sprinkle of black pepper.

We served this with a simple Spring greens risotto with green peas and asparagus (inspiration recipe from Ina Garten HERE). Fresh and luxurious all at the same time. Who is ready for Spring?