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Alcachofas a la montillana
Alcachofas a la montillana: Córdoba artichokes braised in Montilla wine with mint
Montilla, south of Córdoba, makes a pale, dry wine from sun-dried Pedro Ximénez grapes, and in late winter and spring its kitchens braise young artichokes in it with a little saffron and fresh mint. Many cooks add cubes of cured ham; this version leaves it out and lets the artichokes, wine and mint carry the dish. It uses wine; the alcohol-free option is in the ingredient list. Serve it as a starter, or as a main with bread and a fried egg. A common mistake is trimming the artichokes without dropping them straight into lemon water, so they turn black before they reach the pan. Chef's tip: drop each trimmed artichoke straight into lemon water, because cut artichokes blacken within a minute in the air.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon, dropping the halves in too.
Step 2: Trim each of 8 globe artichokes: snap off the dark outer leaves until you reach pale yellow-green ones, cut off the top third, peel the stem and trim the base. Halve them, scoop out any hairy choke and drop them into the lemon water at once.
20 minStep 3: Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Drain the artichokes well and fry them cut-side down for 4–5 minutes until lightly golden. Lift them out.
5 minStep 4: In the same oil, fry 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic for 6 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in 1 tbsp plain flour and cook for 1 minute until it smells toasty.
7 minStep 5: Pour in ¾ cup Montilla-Moriles fino or dry white wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, scraping the pan, until the sharp smell of alcohol fades. Add 1 cup vegetable stock, the soaked 1 pinch saffron threads with its water, and ¾ tsp salt.
2 minStep 6: Return the artichokes, cover and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the base. If they are tender but the sauce is thin, uncover and bubble for a few minutes until it coats a spoon.
20 minStep 7: Stir in 10 leaves fresh mint, rest for 2 minutes and serve warm with plenty of the sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does alcachofas a la montillana take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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