Artichoke and Spekboom Salad

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This recipe is my swan song to winter. Depending on the year, you don’t always get artichokes by late winter, but when you do it’s an event! And at the same time, making my last winter salad is a celebration of the coming spring. There’s something unmistakably Mediterranean about this dish, with one key difference – the addition of spekboom, which brings a crispy juiciness to this salad that just puts a spring in my step.

Artichoke And Spekboom Salad

Prepping time: 40 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour| Serves: 6

for the artichoke puree

300 g artichokes in brine

30 ml olive oil

80 g (90 ml) butter, salted

50 ml brine

2 g thyme, freshly picked

5 ml lemon zest

2 ml freshly ground black pepper

10 ml lemon juice to taste

for the vinaigrette

15 ml whole grain mustard

15 g (14 ml) light brown sugar

60 ml fynbos vinegar

375 ml sunflower oil

for the lemon zest confit

1 lemon

96 g (120 ml) granulated sugar

130 ml water

for the salad

310 g (375 ml) brown lentils, cooked

310 g (375 ml) red sorghum, cooked

350 g green beans, sliced, poached in butter with white pepper

200 g (210 ml) butter, salted

2,5 ml white pepper, ground

340 g asparagus, blanched

400 g artichokes in brine, drained

175 g parmesan cheese, grated

1 lemon, zested

Salt to taste

for the garnish

Picked spekboom

for the artichoke purée

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter, add the artichokes and allow to caramelise until golden brown. Remove from the heat and place in a blender with the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. For an extra smooth purée, pass the purée through a fine mess sieve. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed.

for the vinaigrette

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the mustard, sugar, and vinegar together using a balloon whisk. Once incorporated, slowly add the oil in a thin stream while whisking. Place in the fridge and whisk again just before serving.

for the lemon zest confit

In a small saucepan, blanch the lemon zest about five times to ensure the zest does not have a bitter taste. Over medium heat, bring the sugar and water to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan and allow to cook for 3 – 5 minutes making sure all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add your blanched lemon zest, allow to cool down completely before storing in the fridge.

for the salad

Combine all the ingredients above with the vinaigrette, finishing it off with the artichoke purée, lemon zest confit, grated parmesan and spekboom.