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Nicholaos’ Artichokes and Broad Beans

A delicious, Greek, spring dish of artichokes and broad beans that you can serve with feta cheese or a generous dollop of Greek yoghurt.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Keyword: artichokes, broad beans, feta, Feta cheese, spring dish
Ingredients
  • 6 artichokes
  • 5 lemons
  • 2 flat white onions
  • 1 bunch spring onions
  • 1 kg broad beans
  • 10-12 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
  • 500 g shelled peas
  • 1 small bunch dill coarsely cut
  • 1 small bunch parsley coarsely cut
  • All the above ingredients should be washed thoroughly
  • 1 cup water
  • ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil EVOO
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preparing the main ingredients
Artichokes

  1. Fill a bowl (large enough to fit the artichokes bulbs and stalks) 2/3 full with cold water and add 2 halves of one lemon (and add 2 halves of one lemon on the same line as the previous part of the sentence)

  2. Trim the base of the artichoke stalk; cut the stalk from the artichoke bulb; peel the stalk; cut it in half widthwise and place it in the bowl of water
  3. Remove the outer leaves of the artichoke bulb, until you reach the leaves that have a yellow hue at their base
  4. Cut the artichoke bulb 1/3 down from top
  5. If the inner leaves of the upper portion look tough, then discard this section. If the inner leaves look tender, then remove and discard the outer leaves and place the upper portion in the bowl too
  6. Repeat for the remaining artichokes
  7. Trim the base of the larger artichoke bulb and cut it in half or in quarters (depending on its size), either from the base or the top, but not all the way through; rub it with some lemon and place it in the bowl
Flat white onions
  1. Trim the top of the stalk and the base of the onion bulb
  2. Cut the stalk from the onion bulb; remove the outer layer of the stalk; cut the stalk lengthwise and cut each half into 2cm lengths
  3. Cut the onion bulb in half and cut each half into wedges
  4. Repeat for the other onion
Spring onions
  1. Top and tail the spring onions and cut into 3-4cm lengths
Broad beans
  1. Top, tail and trim the sides of the bean pods
  2. If the pods are soft and tender to the touch, keep them whole; if the pods are firm and hard to the touch, remove the beans and discard the pods
Lemons
  1. Top and tail the lemons and cut them into quarters or halves, depending on their size
Preparing the Artichokes with Broad Beans
  1. Add ½ cup EVOO to a deep pot and heat it on high
  2. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, onion stalks, spring onions and garlic; cook till the onions brown a little and soften
  3. Add the artichokes, broad beans, peas, lemons and water; cook on high till you hear the pot ‘crying’; then reduce heat to medium-high
  4. Check and stir the ingredients every 10 minutes for about 45 minutes to an hour; add an additional ¼ cup of EVOO half way through the cooking process
  5. Add the dill, parsley, salt and pepper; but do not mix them through
  6. Cook for a further 15 minutes before stirring through the herbs and seasoning
  7. Continue to cook the dish until the artichoke stalks are soft
  8. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving
Serving the Artichokes with Broad Beans
  1. Serve with a generous dollop of Greek yoghurt or feta
  2. Enjoy!

Recipe Video

Key Points
  • You can use brown onions, if flat white onions are not available
  • If the artichoke stalks appear very tough and fibrous you can either discard them or cut them in half lengthwise, so they cook more easily
  • Depending on the artichoke type, the leaves of the artichoke can be thorny. Cutting and discarding the upper third of the artichoke bulb will remove many of the thorns. Check inside the remaining bulb for thorns and trim these too before cooking