Vaucluse Just Added This Artichoke Salad to the Menu

We love artichokes in just about any preparation, but this salad from Vaucluse Chef Jared Gadbaw looks like it might become our favorite.  We’d like to try the recipe, but we might just go to Vaucluse for dinner and let the experts take care of it…  

Artichoke Salad with Fennel Escabeche and Rye Berries

Components:

-          Globe Artichokes

-          Fennel Escabeche

-          Rye Berries Salad

-          Watercress

-          Marcona Almonds

-          Fennel Fronds

-          Parsley

-          Mint

Artichokes

8 Artichokes, cleaned and halved

Peel of one Orange

Peel of one Lemon

Bay Leaf

2 Crushed Garlic Cloves

20 Pink Peppercorns

½ cup Extra Virgin OIive Oil

Clean the artichokes removing the tough outer layers and peeling the stems. Leave them in water with ascorbic acid to prevent oxidation.

Put the artichokes in a bag and add the olive oil and the aromatics. Cryovac and cook at 85C for 2 hours or until soft. Ice them down.

Cut them in half and sear them before service. Cut the halves in 3 pieces.

Fennel Escabeche

800g Baby Fennel

80g Marcona Almonds, crushed

50pc Coriander Seeds, crushed

150g Golden Raisins

40g Garlic

Zest of 3 Oranges

Juice of 5 Oranges

200g EVOO

Pinch of Saffron

Pinch black pepper

Sweat fennel and garlic for about 5 minutes and without any color in the oil.  Season with salt and pepper. Crush the almonds and coriander in a mortar. Add the raisins, almond/coriander and saffron, cook gently. Add the zest then juice and cook until tender, adding a little water if necessary. The liquid will be used as the escabeche vinaigrette.

Rye Berries

2 Qts Rye Berries

2Qts Vegetable Stock

2Qts Water

Sweat the berries in olive oil toasting them gently. Deglaze with the boiling stock and water. Put a parchment and let it simmer for one hour or until tender. Add liquid if necessary. Cool down.

Artichokes Puree

Use some of the cooked artichokes. Warm them up and blend with some red roasted peppers. Season to taste.

For pick up, temper some rye berries. Season them with the artichoke puree, mint chiffonade, lemon zest and lemon juice. Temper the seared artichokes, fennel mix. Mix them with enough of the dressing, chopped parsley, fennel fronds and lemon juice. Add watercress. Put the rye berries in the bottom of the plate and top it with the vegetable mix. Add a few watercress leaves and fennel fronds. Drizzle some of the dressing on the side of the plate. 

Read about our artichokes from Ocean Mist Farms!