Globe artichokes with truffles and egg yolk sauce

Method

There’s something thrilling about boiling a large artichoke flower bud and peeling off the leaves, getting to the heart of the delicious vegetable. The deeper you get into the flower, the shinier and more purple the leaves become. Finally, all the outer layers give way to the perfect heart, which has this incredible nutty flavour that pairs beautifully with truffles and brown butter. A day in advance 1 Crack two eggs, discarding the egg whites (or keep them for another recipe). 2 Place whole egg yolks in a jar and top with a mix of rice vinegar and soy sauce. It’s important that yolks remain whole and are covered completely by the liquid. Leave yolks in the fridge overnight. Day of 3 Boil the artichokes as per the recipe for ‘Globe artichokes with radicchio salad’ (see pg. 102). 4 While you are boiling the artichokes, take the egg yolks out of the liquid, beat them with a whisk, and add butter and truffle juice until you have a medium-tight texture (think mayonnaise). Store the egg mixture in the fridge until it’s time to serve. 6 Peel the leaves from the artichoke hearts one by one. (Save the leaves for a snack or scrape off the meat for a purée.) Clean the border of the hearts with a turning knife. 7 Put the 4 artichoke hearts in a thick-bottomed sauté pan or pot and add the glaze: truffle juice, butter, and soy mixed together. 8 Cook over low heat. Baste the artichoke hearts with the glaze. 9 Take the artichoke hearts out of the pot and place them on a cutting board. Cut them into quarters and plate. 10 Pour the remaining liquid from the pot over the artichoke hearts. 11 Drizzle ½ tsp of egg yolk sauce over each quarter. 12 Grate your truffle on top and crack black pepper over everything. Serve straight away.