Artichokes Provencale

They grow a lot of artichokes in Provence, and they have a lot of recipes to go with them. This is one of the easier ones, made simple by using tinned artichoke hearts.

As a starter, you need one artichoke heart for each person. If you want to use fresh artichokes and you are confident about trimming them, then that’s the way to go. But for most people the version I give below will probably suit them best.

You need:

canned artichoke hearts, about 400g
75mls of olive oil
1 onion, chopped roughly
2 diced carrots
225mls dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, halved
sprig of rosemary
salt and pepper

Using a stainless steel or enameled pan, cook the onion in the oil for 3 minutes and then add the carrots. Mix and put the artichokes on top of this layer. Season and cover. Cook gently for 5 minutes, then add the white wine, garlic and rosemary.

Cover and cook gently for 30 minutes, and I do mean gently – low heat. Test for doneness with a wooden skewer. Discard the rosemary twig before serving, but serve the garlic as is.

This can be eaten hot or cold, with salad and/or crusty bread, and even makes a nice side dish for fish such as salmon.

print this artichoke recipe