Moroccan · Main course
Amazigh Wild Artichoke & Preserved Lemon Tagine
Spiny wild artichokes, foraged from the hills, are a prized Berber spring vegetable, braised here with olive oil, garlic, preserved lemon and peas into a bright, lemony tagine. Their nutty, slightly bitter hearts are worth the fiddly trimming — a green, meat-free dish that tastes of the season.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 8 wild or small artichoke hearts, trimmed
- 200 g peas, fresh or frozen
- 2 onions, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 preserved lemon, sliced
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- Pinch of saffron
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch coriander and parsley, chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper
Method
- 1
Prep artichokes
Trim the artichokes to their hearts and hold in lemon water to stop browning.
- 2
Soften
Cook the onion and garlic in olive oil with the ginger and saffron until soft.
- 3
Braise
Add the drained artichokes, salt, pepper and a cup of water, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
- 4
Add peas
Add the peas and preserved lemon and cook 10 minutes until everything is tender.
- 5
Finish
Stir in the herbs and fresh lemon juice off the heat.
- 6
Serve
Serve warm with bread; it's lovely at room temperature too.
Chef's tips
- Keep trimmed artichokes in acidulated water or they blacken fast.
- Frozen artichoke hearts are a perfectly good shortcut for the fiddly wild ones.
- Don't overcook the peas — add them late for colour and sweetness.
Frequently asked questions
What are wild artichokes?
Small, spiny thistle artichokes that grow wild across Morocco's hills in spring. Foragers trim them down to nutty little hearts; cultivated baby artichokes are a fine substitute.
How do I trim artichokes?
Snap off the tough outer leaves, cut off the top, pare the base and stem, and scoop out any hairy choke, dropping each into lemon water as you go.