Recipes
Artichoke and preserved lemon dip
This brilliant storecupboard dip was taught to me by my friend cookery writer Trish Deseine who rustled it up in no time when I was staying with her recently.
I’ve made it - or roughly how I think she made it - twice since then and everyone has loved it
You need to be flexible about the quantities which will vary depending on the ingredients you’re using. Keep tasting!
Serves 4-6
30g mature parmesan cheese, broken into chunks
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
a small (around 290g) jar of grilled artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped or about 175g loose grilled artichokes from a deli
1 small or 1/2 larger preserved lemon, pulp and pips removed and chopped
A small handful of parsley leaves - about 10g - roughly chopped + a few extra parsley leaves to decorate
Extra virgin olive oil - about 100ml
Good squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the parmesan and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the consistency of coarse crumbs. Add the drained artichokes, the preserved lemon peel and parsley and whizz again. Gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream until the mixture reaches a dippable consistency. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon into a bowl or onto a plate and sprinkle with extra parsley. Serve with pitta bread, breadsticks or crisp Italian-style flatbread.
What to drink: artichokes are supposed to be tricky with wine but I’ve already found two that pair well: a citrussy sauvignon blanc and a verdicchio. Other dry Italian whites would work too.
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