Artichoke and Ricotta Vegetarian Starter Recipe

Lisa Allen pairs delicate globe artichokes and earthy Jerusalem artichokes, with pickled, fried and dehydrated pieces providing a beautiful contrast of textures. Finished with creamy homemade ricotta and a fragrant honey dressing, this immaculate starter makes a great vegetarian option – just remember to plan your timings carefully when preparing each element.

Ingredients

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Ricotta

1l milk
2 tbsp of lemon juice
salt

Pickled shallots

50ml of sherry vinegar
50ml of white balsamic vinegar
50ml of water
1 star anise
1/2 tsp pink peppercorns
65g of caster sugar
1 banana shallot, cut into 3mm rounds

Jerusalem artichokes

170g of Jerusalem artichoke
50ml of brown chicken stock
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 sprig of thyme
salt
oil

Pickled globe artichokes

1 globe artichoke, peeled
25ml of sherry vinegar
75ml of white balsamic vinegar
50ml of water
1 bay leaf, torn
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
50g of caster sugar

Honey and mead reduction

200ml of mead
30g of honey
10ml of distilled vinegar

Truffle purée

100g of créme fraiche
75g of cream cheese
25g of horseradish sauce
2 tsp truffle oil
8g of truffle
salt

To plate

1 handful of pea shoots
onion powder

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Steam oven
Vacuum bags
Chamber sealer
Dehydrator
Blender

Preheat a steam oven to 100°C

For the pickled artichoke bring the water, vinegars, sugar, bay leaf and peppercorns to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pickling liquid from the heat and leave to cool, then strain through a fine sieve and transfer to a vacuum bag with the artichoke. Seal and set to one side

1 globe artichoke, peeled
25ml of sherry vinegar
75ml of white balsamic vinegar
50ml of water
1 bay leaf, torn
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
50g of caster sugar

Place the Jerusalem artichokes into a separate vacuum bag and add the chicken stock, garlic, thyme and salt. Seal and cook in the steam oven along with the globe artichoke for 20-25 minutes, until just cooked through. Place the bags of artichokes in the fridge until cool

170g of Jerusalem artichoke
50ml of brown chicken stock
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 sprig of thyme
salt

Once the Jerusalem artichokes have cooled remove from the bags and carefully peel away the skin, ensuring the skins remain intact where possible. Trim the Jerusalem artichokes into small pieces and set aside, then transfer the skins to a dehydrator for 2 hours

For the ricotta, place the milk into a saucepan and heat to 93°C. Stir in the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and remove from the heat. Leave to curdle for 30 minutes, then transfer the ricotta into muslin cloth and leave to hang for at least an hour

1l milk
2 tbsp of lemon juice
salt

Meanwhile, prepare the pickled shallots. Bring the water and vinegars to the boil along with the caster sugar and spices, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, then transfer to a vacuum bag with the shallots and seal. Refrigerate and leave to pickle until ready to serve

50ml of sherry vinegar
50ml of white balsamic vinegar
50ml of water
1 star anise
1/2 tsp pink peppercorns
65g of caster sugar
1 banana shallot, cut into 3mm rounds

For the reduction, heat the mead in a saucepan until reduce by half, then add the honey and reduce again until it reaches a light syrup consistency. Add the vinegar and mix well before leaving to cool, then pour into a squeezy bottle until ready to serve

200ml of mead
30g of honey
10ml of distilled vinegar

To make the truffle purée, place the crème fraiche, cream cheese, horseradish sauce and truffle oil in a blender and quickly blitz to combine. Season to taste with salt and use a finely grate in the fresh truffle

100g of créme fraiche
75g of cream cheese
25g of horseradish sauce
2 tsp truffle oil
8g of truffle
salt

Preheat a deep fat fryer to 170°C

Remove the Jerusalem artichoke skins from the dehydrator and deep fry for 1 minute. Remove from the fryer and leave to drain on kitchen paper, seasoning generously with salt

salt

Heat a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat with a little oil and caramelise the Jerusalem artichokes on one side until golden brown. Meanwhile, drain the globe artichokes from their bag and cut into small pieces

To serve, spoon a generous portion of the truffle purée onto the plate and top with the chopped artichokes. Add a spoon of ricotta to each plate and swirl over some honey and mead reduction Pile over the crispy skin and garnish with pickled shallot rings, onion powder and pea cress

1 handful of pea shoots
onion powder

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Lisa Goodwin-Allen

Lisa Goodwin-Allen's cooking is playful and twists the hallmarks of Lancastrian cuisine to invoke new tradition.

Globe and Jerusalem artichokes, crispy skin, truffle

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