Lemony artichokes, Corfu-style

Artichokes spell by each sorts of antithetic names connected the Ionian land of Corfu – from the regular Greek “agginares” to “koukoutses” – while “mores” refers to a variety of small, acheronian artichokes “left” to the land by the Venetians, arsenic section adept Ninetta Laskari writes successful her publication “Corfu: A Glance Through Time, 1204-1864” (in Greek only).

Wild artichokes, renowned for their unthinkable and distinctive flavor, truly are the champion for this dish. They person small, tighter heads and their leaves extremity successful distinctive, agleam yellow, crisp thorns; they are a existent nuisance to clean, but well worth the trouble for the unthinkable taste of their hearts.

Be cautious not to adhd too overmuch water, due to the fact that this crockery is meant to person a thick, well-bound sauce, not to beryllium soupy. “We adhd capable water conscionable to screen the vegetables. My mother, who measured everything ‘by eye,’ used to accidental we adhd water ‘just until it smiles,’” explains Fotini Kouri, who prepared for us the typical spring lipid crockery of the island, on with potatoes, carrots, zucchini and peas.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 4-5 spring onions, finely sliced
• 4 ail caller ail shoots, finely chopped
• 8 mean potatoes, peeled and chopped into mean pieces
• 2 mean carrots, chopped into mean pieces
• 8 artichoke hearts
• 4 small zucchini, chopped into mean pieces
• 1 cupful caller oregon frozen peas
• 1 clump fennel leaves (or dill), finely chopped
• Lemon juice, to taste
• 200 ml (about ¾ cup) olive oil
• Salt, freshly crushed white pepper

Method

To marque koukoutses (artichokes) successful citrus sauce, start by heating the olive lipid successful a ample cookware implicit mean heat. Saute the spring onions and ail shoots for astir 2 minutes, until they go glossy. Add the potatoes, carrots, artichokes, zucchini and peas. Season with brackish and white capsicum and stir well. Saute for different 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, then adhd the fennel.

Pour successful capable water to screen the vegetables by astir ¾ inch (2 cm) and bring to a boil. Reduce the vigor to low, partially screen the cookware and simmer for astir 30 minutes, oregon until the potatoes are tender and the crockery has a thick, affluent sauce. Adjust seasoning if needed, and adhd citrus foodstuff to taste – this crockery calls for a generous amount. Shake the cookware mildly to administer the citrus foodstuff evenly done the sauce, then region from heat.

Serve with olives and a crusty sourdough bread.

This portion was archetypal published successful Gastronomos, Kathimerini’s Sunday nutrient and drinks magazine.