SAFFRON-TEMPURA ARTICHOKES

INGREDIENTS

4 servings:

• 1 lbs fresh artichokes
• ice water
• salt
• flour
• saffron
• extra virgin olive oil

PREPARATION

Artichokes are one of those foods that cannot be missing from our diet as they offer myriad benefits for our health. This vegetable offers a large amount of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, in addition to containing high indexes of fibre, carbohydrates and protein.

Among its attributes are an improvement of the digestive process, reduction of cholesterol, elimination of liquids or control of appetite, as they produce a feeling of satiety. It also contains vitamins A and B6, as well as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, sodium, iron, carbohydrates, protein and sugars, making this vegetable essential for our fridge and our meals.

If we look back in time, we can see that the Greeks and Romans were great aficionados of the artichoke, knowledgeable of its properties. During the Middle Ages and in subsequent times, this food conquered names such as Catalina de Medici, who considered it a type of aphrodisiac.

To make today’s saffron-tempura artichokes, begin by cleaning the vegetables. Then cook them with a pinch of salt for approximately fifteen minutes. While they cook, make the tempura batter. For this, mix the flour with ice-cold water and saffron in a bowl, the result will be a batter which we will use to cover the artichokes before frying them.

Once the olive oil in the pan is hot, we will fry the artichokes, previously drained and battered. Fry them until golden, then let dry over kitchen paper, thus avoiding an excess of oil. Lastly, sprinkle them with paprika, to taste. Sauce lovers could accompany the tempura with allioli, soy sauce or mayonnaise. Once served on a platter, our artichokes are ready to be savoured. Bon apétit!