Artichokes in textures

Ingredients:

• 500g artichokes
• 30g egg
• Fresh parsley
• Salt
• 100g cream
• 100g milk
• 100g Entrepinares smoked cheese
• Toasted pine nuts

Instructions:

1. Prepare the artichokes: Clean the artichokes well, removing the outer leaves. To prevent oxidation of the hearts, place them in a bowl of cold water with parsley (this acts as an antioxidant). Reserve the outer leaves to make the artichoke juice that will be used in the velouté.

Artichoke Velouté

1. Make the artichoke juice: Heat water in a large saucepan. When it boils, add the outer leaves of the artichokes and blanch them for about 12-15 minutes until softened. Once blanched, place them in a food processor or blender with some of the cooking water (at least 200g) and blend. Then strain the mixture; you will need approximately 200g of this juice.
2. Prepare the velouté: In a bowl, mix 200g of artichoke juice with 60g of egg and salt using a hand mixer (30g of egg for every 100g of liquid). Pour the mixture into the bottom of deep plates or bowls that you will use for serving. Place them in a preheated oven at about 130-140 degrees Celsius (266-284 degrees Fahrenheit) and cook for 20 minutes until the velouté sets like a flan.

Artichoke Hearts, Chips, and Purée

1. Cook the artichoke hearts: While the velouté is cooking, cut the artichokes into quarters and cook them in the same water with parsley. Reserve a couple of artichokes and slice them thinly. Sauté the slices in extra virgin olive oil (such as Pago de Valdecuevas) over low heat until they are toasted, crispy, and infused with the flavor of the olive oil. Set aside.
2. Make the artichoke purée: With one or two artichoke hearts, prepare a purée with extra virgin olive oil and salt. Place it in a pastry bag (optional) for the final plating.

Entrepinares Smoked Cheese Cream

1. Prepare the cheese cream: Grate the cheese and place it in a saucepan over low heat with the milk and cream, stirring frequently until you obtain a smooth but not excessively thick cream. If it thickens too much, you can add a little more milk. A pinch of pepper goes wonderfully with it.

Final Presentation

1. Assemble the dish: Place the smoked cheese cream over the velouté, followed by the artichoke quarters and chips, giving the dish some height. Arrange several dots of artichoke purée; you can place them on the plate or on top of the cooked quarters, as you prefer.
2. Garnish and serve: Finish with the pine nuts and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. This will complete this delicious artichoke dish with a flourish.

Recipe by @sara