Globe artichokes with potato cakes and a lemon butter dip

It is a wonder of modern times that we can purchase any produce at any time. Need apples in April or fresh cucumber in December? No problem. Avocados from Mexico, cauliflower from Spain. The list goes on. And yet, for the best flavour and nutrition we should look no further than delicious British produce.

Irresistible Mashing Potatoes

The Co-op recently launched their Irresistible Mashing Potatoes, containing the Lilly potato variety. This is a British potato, grown by a few specially selected growers and it is exclusive to the Co-op. I was asked to create a recipe from these versatile spuds, and I knew just what to combine them with.

The short season of globe artichokes, coupled with the minimal amount of the vegetable you can actually eat means that many people have never tried them. Most of us have eaten an artichoke heart, but the rest of the flesh often goes to waste. This light and aesthetically appealing recipe is perfect for lunchtime. Whilst the dish takes on two distinct elements, they are brought together by the shared ingredients of garlic, rosemary and lemon.

Serves 2.

For the artichoke you will need:

• 2 globe artichokes

Method:

1. Wash the artichokes to remove their natural waxy film.

2. Cut an inch off the top of the artichokes and remove the stem.

3. Place them into a pan, cover and bring to the boil.

4. Reduce the heat and simmer for around 30 minutes until the leaves can be easily removed by hand.

For the tomato sauce you will need:

• A 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• A small onion, finely chopped
• Two cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• The juice of one lemon
• A large sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

1. Lightly fry the onion in the vegetable oil until soft and translucent.

2. Add the finely chopped garlic and fry for a few seconds before adding the chopped tomatoes, rosemary, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

3. Leave to simmer, uncovered for around 25 minutes until the sauce has reduced.

For the potato cakes you will need:

• 450g Co-op Irresistible Mashing Potatoes
• 25g butter, plus extra for frying
• 50ml milk
• 50g cheddar cheese
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• 25g plain flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

1. Peel the Irresistible Mashing Potatoes and cut them into even pieces. Place them in a saucepan, cover them in cold water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender.

2. Drain the potatoes, add the butter and milk and mash.

3. Add the cheese and stir together.

4. Set aside the potato mixture and lightly fry the chopped onion in butter over a medium heat until soft and translucent. Use a large, non-stick frying pan.

5. Remove the onion from the pan, replace the pan on the heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

6. Stir the fried onion, beaten egg and the flour into the mashed potato mix and season with salt and pepper.

7. Take a level tablespoonful of the mixture and place into the pan. Form it into a round and repeat – with a large pan you should be able to cook three potato cakes at a time.

8. Fry for approximately 2 minutes on either side, allowing the mixture to catch on the pan. You may need to turn a few times to lightly brown the outer.

For the lemon butter dip you will need:

• 100g butter
• The juice of one lemon
• 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 sprig of rosemary (finely chopped)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat.

2. Add the garlic and rosemary and leave on the low heat for a further minute.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Assembling the dish

Place the globe artichoke on the plate, it should rest easily on its base as you have removed the stem.

Place the potato cakes onto the plate in a stack and pour over the tomato sauce.

Pour the dip into a ramekin and serve on the plate.

How to eat the artichoke

Each artichoke leaf can be removed individually. You can’t eat the whole leaf. Instead, you dip the tender, white base of the leaf into the lemon butter and run that part of the leaf across your teeth to remove the flesh. Discard the rest of the leaf.

In the centre, you will find the fibrous choke – this looks like lots of strands of cotton. Don’t eat this. Instead, you can remove and discard it to get to the heart. You can then eat the artichoke heart.

Co-op Irresistible Mashing Potatoes are available from selected Co-op food stores.