Whole barbecued artichokes with smoked garlic mayonnaise

Preheat the barbecue to around 100°C, then add a few wood chunks to the coals. Set up the barbecue for indirect cooking, then place the grate above the heat deflector. Close the lid and allow the barbecue to fill with smoke

Put the garlic bulb on the grate, close the lid and leave to smoke for 1 hour. It should be soft, golden and smoky when ready. Remove from the barbecue and increase the temperature to 200°C, removing the heat deflectors and cooking grate

To prepare the artichokes, remove the stem and drizzle the artichokes with oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and rub the seasoning into the artichoke, getting in between the leaves as much as possible

Wrap the artichokes tightly in kitchen foil, then place in amongst the coals in the barbecue. Cook for 45 minutes, or until the outer leaves of the artichoke can be easily pulled away from the stem (cooking times will vary depending on the size of the artichoke)

Meanwhile, make the smoked garlic mayonnaise. Pop the cloves of the garlic out of their skins into a blender, and add the egg yolk, Dijon mustard and a good pinch of salt. Blitz until combined and smooth. Add a little olive oil and blend again (it's important to get the emulsion working early on – if you add the oil too quickly it won't emulsify and you'll be left with an oily mixture)

Add the oil very gradually in small amounts, blending well each time until the mixture thickens noticeably – at this stage, you can add the oil more liberally. When all the oil is used up, balance the seasoning with lemon juice and more salt. You can also let down the mayonnaise with a little water if you want it to have a looser consistency

When the artichokes are tender, remove from the foil and open the leaves up a little. Finish on the barbecue for a pleasantly smoky flavour, then add a little more seasoning if needed

Serve whole with the smoked garlic mayonnaise on the side. You can eat the leaves one by one, dipping them into the mayonnaise. Once you reach the soft inner leaves, divide the heart and discard the bristly choke