Violet Artichoke Risotto with Artichoke Salad

Ingredients

Contains: milk (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions
• 3 carrots
• ½ celery
• ½ celeriac
• 2 leeks
• ½ fennel
• 1 head garlic
• 4 white peppercorns
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme
• 1 small bunch fresh rosemary
• 1 small bunch fresh flatleaf parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 75g/3oz butter
• 1 shallot
• 1 garlic
• 1 tsp thyme
• 250g/9oz carnaroli risotto rice
• 50ml/2fl oz white wine
• 1 litre/1¾pint vegetable stock
• 2 baby violet artichokes
• 25g/1oz mascarpone
• 50g/2oz parmesan
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 baby violet artichokes
• ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ head curly endive

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Heat the first 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, celeriac, leeks and fennel and cook gently for 10 minutes until softened. Add the halved head of garlic, peppercorns, thyme and rosemary.

2. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Strain into a clean pan, discard the solids and keep the stock barely simmering over low heat.

3. Trim the baby violet artichokes of tough outer leaves, halve them and scoop out any choke. Rub them with lemon. Simmer half of them in a pan of boiling water with a little lemon juice for 8 minutes until tender, then drain. Keep the rest raw for the risotto.

4. Melt the butter with the second 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan. Finely chop the shallot and garlic, add them with the raw sliced artichokes and soften for 4 minutes.

5. Add the carnaroli rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains look glossy. Pour in the white wine and stir until it has mostly evaporated.

6. Add the hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring often and adding more only when the liquid is absorbed. Cook for about 18 minutes until the rice is creamy and just tender.

7. Off the heat, stir in the mascarpone, parmesan, thyme leaves and chopped parsley. Season with salt and black pepper and rest for 2 minutes.

8. Whisk the white wine vinegar, English mustard, extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper into a dressing. Toss the torn curly endive with the cooked artichoke halves and dressing, then spoon over the risotto to serve.