An artichoke risotto that tastes like spring, fresh and delicate. To bring a fragrant and timeless vegetarian first course to the table.
It is a classic preparation, without too many head twists, ideal for enhancing the intense flavor of artichokes. I just wanted to add lemon zest, which I love very much in combination with this vegetable.
Another small license is the choice of pepper: the Timut pepper*. This variety of pepper, like its botanical “cousin” Sichuan pepper, is a Nepalese pepper with a note reminiscent of grapefruit and passion fruit. An additional citrus nuance that I’m sure will win you over. Alternatively you can use Sichuan pepper or common black pepper.
To make this artichoke risotto, alas, you will have to clean them. But don’t despair, arm yourself with patience and follow my tips to clean artichokes quickly and easily.
First of all I recommend theuse of gloves: they will protect you from the thorns and prevent your hands from being stained by the artichoke.
Start by eliminating the hardest, outer leaves until you get to the heart, with the light, bright colored leaves at the base. Continue by cutting the tip by about 2/3 cm, then cut the stem 2/3 cm from the base and peel it with a mandolin.
With a clean cut, divide the artichoke in half, remove its internal “beard” with the help of a teaspoon or a small knife, checking that there are no remaining thorns.
And now a little twist: dip each artichoke heart thus obtained in a bowl with ice and lemonwhere you will leave it until the time comes to cook them in your risotto.