Ingredients
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For the Stew
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6 small violet Artichokes
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Olive Oil
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1 Red Onion
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100 g diced Pancetta
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2 Garlic
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200 ml Chicken broth
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a bunch of Swiss Chard
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200 g shelled Broad Beans
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250g fresh shelled Peas
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5 sprigs of Mint
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flaked Sea Salt
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freshly ground Black Pepper
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good squeeze of Lemon Juice
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For the Toasts
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4 thick slices of sourdough Bread
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200 g Goat’s Cheese
Directions
Quite rightly, it’s often emphasised how little cooking young spring vegetables need. For the most part, we tend to cook them as briefly as possible. But in this recipe we take the opposite tack, and slow-cook them in a rich, savoury broth. It makes for a totally different experience. This springtime stew is inspired by the Italian dish, Vignole. It calls for the softest, youngest goat’s cheese you can find, which is in season at the same time of year. Goat’s curd still has that distinctive tang that all products made from goat’s milk possess, but in the mildest possible form.
You could even use goat’s milk yoghurt, which is now widely available – just strain it in a cloth overnight to remove the excess moisture, and to concentrate all the flavour. You’ll have something not far from a soft, spreadable cheese. If you struggle to find either, ricotta will also work well, but add a pinch of salt. If you want to make this vegetarian, leave out the pancetta and use vegetable stock.
Steps
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1
Done
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Strip the outer leaves from the artichokes to reveal their hearts, and pare and trim away all the hairy chokes. Chop the hearts into 6 pieces. |
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2
Done
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Heat a generous dash of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion with the pancetta until the onion is soft – 8–10 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until fragrant, but not coloured. Pour in 150 ml of the stock – you may need more later, depending on how dry the stew becomes while cooking. (You’re aiming for a good amount of liquid, but not quite a soup, so add more stock as and when required.) Add the artichoke hearts and the stems and ribs of the chard, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broad beans and peas and cook for another 10 minutes, then stir in the chard leaves and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the mint, season with salt and pepper, and squeeze in the lemon juice. Finish with a generous glug of olive oil. |
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3
Done
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Meanwhile, brush the slices of sourdough on each side with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Grill on both sides until almost charred, but still soft within. Smear one side with a generous layer of goat’s curd. Sit each toast in the centre of a shallow bowl and spoon a generous pile of stew onto half of the bread, letting the broth cover the base of the bowl, with the bright white of the curd shining through on the other half. |
