Caxton magazines staffMariëtte Coetzee of Coco Bella (cocobella.co.za), a Cape patisserie, tends to over cater when she entertains. But it’s just as well because with such delicious fare on offer who could resist a second helping?
INGREDIENTS
- 4 lemons, halved
- 2 large globe artichoke hearts
- 120ml olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 30ml pink peppercorns
- 150ml white wine
- 250g broad beans, shelled
- 250g fresh peas, shelled
- 60g flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Parmesan shavings
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Juice the lemons and discard all but two of the empty lemon halves. Cut the artichoke hearts into thick slices, place in cold water and add half the lemon juice. Leave to infuse for about 10 minutes.
3. Drain the artichoke slices and place them on a baking tray, pouring over the remaining lemon juice; add the 2 reserved lemon halves, 60ml of the olive oil, the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, peppercorns and the white wine. Cover with foil and bake for 45–60 minutes, until the artichokes are tender. Leave to cool down.
4. Blanch the broad beans and peas in a large pot of boiling water for 2–3 minutes. Refresh in cold water, drain and leave to dry.
5. Remove the lemon halves from the artichokes and add them with the remaining juices from baking tray to the beans, peas, parsley and remaining olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste. Top with Parmesan shavings.
Cook’s note: This salad can be served with chunky pieces of fresh sourdough bread as a starter.
This recipe serves 4 – 6.
