A thorny matter.

"I NOWHERE SAW THE CARDOON SOUTH OF THE SALADO; BUT IT IS PROBABLE THAT
IN PROPORTION AS THAT COUNTRY BECOMES INHABITED, THE CARDOON WILL EXTEND
ITS LIMITS. THE CASE IS DIFFERENT WITH THE GIANT THISTLE (WITH
VARIEGATED LEAVES) OF THE PAMPAS, FOR I MET WITH IT IN THE VALLEY OF THE
SAUCE."
Charles Darwin, from The Voyage of the Beagle (1909)

THE "SAUCE" TO WHICH DARWIN REFERS, IN CHRONICLING HIS JOURNEY THROUGH Argentina, is not the yolk and butter-based variety we've come to associate with artichokes, but rather the Sauce Grande stream that he and his guides followed on their exploratory journey to Buenos Aires. That Darwin encountered (and recognized) the cardoon on his way through South America challenges our assumptions about the artichoke's singular place among the edible thistles (as we ourselves asserted in AC Issue 35). In fact, there are at least a half-dozen edible members of the Asteraceae family of plants in common use, and likely many more available to the experienced wild forager.

Without a doubt, artichokes (Cynara scolymus) and, to a lesser extent, cardoons (Cynara cardunculus) dominate the category. In general, the botanic histories of the artichoke and the cardoon are inextricably linked, and often provide more confusion than clarity. Early texts offer evidence of their cultivation in Sicily, Tunisia (known then as Carthage), Greece, Rome, Granada and North Africa. One school of thought maintains that cardoons and artichokes are, and always have been, two distinct species. Other taxonomists insist that the wild artichoke gave rise to the cultivated cardoon, while still others feel it was the cardoon that begat the artichoke.

Historian and journalist Clifford A. Wright, armed with ample evidence, backs the latter theory. In a 1996 article entitled "Did the Ancients Know the Artichoke? A Review of the Evidence" Wright states: "The popularity of artichokes as a food has led popular food writers to seek its roots in the classical world in what I believe is a classic form of the neo-classicist fallacy." He continues that, since authoring the paper, he has had communication with Professore Domenico Pigone of the CNR Plant Genetics in Bari, which has given rise to a new question: is it possible that the cultivated artichoke long ago "escaped" into the wild, giving rise to the wild artichoke? Wright adds that the theory is "a bit backward, but evidenced in nature."

When asked to speculate why it is that historians have seized upon the artichoke and not the cardoon as a culinary signifier of the ancient Greco-Roman world, Wright replies, "The existing iconograph[ies] ... all depict a plant that is obviously a thistle, but there is no way anyone can determine what plant it is, as there are very many thistles. I suspect that historians have latched onto the artichoke because they are, after all, not botanists and the depictions look like the plant they are most familiar with, namely the artichoke. This occurs elsewhere; for example, historians often refer to ancient depictions of certain sea animals as 'squid' when close observation indicates that it may be a cuttlefish."

IN THE UNITED STATES, THE cultivated Green Globe artichoke dominates the field and the plate. Dale Huss, head of artichoke production for Ocean Mist Farms, based in Castroville, CA, says that cardoons make up less than one percent of his crops. "Not a lot of folks understand how to eat cardoons, really only our Italian and Spanish customers. But I've had Italians stop out in the field and eat that succulent part of the stem, just peel it with a knife and eat it on the spot." Some evidence suggests that Spanish cheesemakers historically used the extract of dried cardoon flowers as a milk curdling agent, but its more common use has always been as a vegetable. Elizabeth Schneider, in Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables: a Commonsense Guide (Harper & Row 1986), laments, "How sad that this lovely, subtle food has fallen out of favor except in its native Mediterranean region," and goes on to note that it actually had a place at American tables from colonial times until the early part of the 20th century.

artichokes are Ocean Mist's signature product, and they account for 20% of its crops, with lettuces, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, fennel, rapini and herbs rounding out their offerings. Huss reports that in the last 10 years there have been a number of changes in the way that the company does business, including a shift from shed packing to field packing, which facilitates faster cooling of the product, reduces impact-induced injury and adds several days to its shelf life. The company has also reduced its total area of farmed land, from a peak of roughly 13,000 acres, to the current 5,000 or so acres. He is quick to add, however, that, "Overall volume has stayed consistent. Because of increased input costs, we lost some smaller growers as they formed partnerships, and in some cases bought each other out. There's been a good deal of consolidation, but there are still several growers involved." Ocean Mist is currently investigating ways to individually brand each artichoke, both as a marketing tool and to combat a growing problem: artichoke theft. A spate of attacks in southwestern France was reported in spring 2004, and Huss concurs, "It's a huge problem for us. They come in the middle of the night, and it seems like people who know how to cut an artichoke. People who don't know what they're doing tend to break it off or cut at weird angles." A single night's theft can cost the company thousands of dollars. Huss has had several meetings with local authorities, and is also investigating the use of private security firms to help protect the crop. Until the chokes are individually branded, there is no way to prove that the 'independent farmer' selling a bushel at a roadside stand is peddling stolen goods. Says Huss, "The best way to prevent theft is to catch the thieves, but you've gotta catch them in the act. People think if something is growing along the side of the road, it's fine to take a few home for supper, but to us, it's still theft."

scotch thistle (Onopordon acanthium) is perhaps most like the artichoke, with a similar flavor, fleshy flower based and tight green sepals. Also known as cotton thistle, it is native to Mediterranean Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is best known for its curative effect on the human liver, but its flower heads are eaten like artichokes, and the roots are served boiled in Chile, its country of origin. Musk thistle (Carduus nutans) is found in Southern Europe, Western Asia, the US and Canada, especially in areas where livestock have bedded down. Its stalks are edible in the late spring and early summer, before the flesh matures and becomes woody, and can be eaten raw or cooked in the same manner as artichokes. Spotted golden thistle (Scolymus maculatus), known as targaninas in Spanish cuisine, has edible leaves that are often substituted for spinach, and roots and stems that are used in stews, soups and omelettes.

salsify is another edible thistle, or rather, the same name for two distinct but similar members of the Asteraceae family--true salsify (tragopogon porrifolius), which is also called oyster plant or white salsify (but for purposes of this article referred to simply as "salsify"); and scorzonera (scorzonera hispanica), also known as black salsify, black oyster plant or viper grass. Salsify features narrow, leek-like leaves, violet-red flowers and light yellow root, whereas scorzonera's leaves are somewhat wider, its flowers yellow, its creamy white root concealed by dark brown skin. Both plants' roots are easily broken, making their extraction from the ground a somewhat perilous undertaking. Both salsify and scorzonera can easily go from toothsome to mushy if overcooked, and take well to steaming, braising, simmering or use as a puree in soups and stews. Salsify's flavor has been likened to a nutty artichoke, as well as to oyster, while Elizabeth Schneider found in scorzonera "the flavor and consistency of very soft-cooked artichoke heart with a touch of coconut."

the Asteraceae family is also referred to as the sunflower family, and indeed sunflowers (Aster novi-belgi) provide delicious and nutritionally valuable seeds that are eaten out of hand and pressed into oil. Finally, burdocks and their edible roots are also found within the family, both the Japanese variety, often referred to as gobo (Arctium lappa), and the wild American variety (Arctium minus). Like salsify, burdock root discolors quickly when the flesh is exposed to air, a reaction that can be slowed by the immersion of the cut root in acidulated water. Burdock's skin is the source of its many nutrients, and should be scrubbed but otherwise left intact when preparing the root for consumption. Kimpira, a popular Japanese dish, is comprised of sauteed burdock (and occasionally carrots or other root vegetables), garnished with some combination of soy sauce, sugar, hot pepper and toasted sesame seeds.

COURTING SPARKS

ROBBIN HAAS

CHISPA

CORAL GABLES, FL

AS A SELF-DESCRIBED "GRINGO", ROBBIN HAAS KNOWS THAT having opened a Latin American restaurant in Miami was a bold move.

"It's as if I went up to New York and opened a Chinese restaurant on the edge of Chinatown," he says. "In Miami, we're in the heart of Cuban cooking and Latin American cooking. You've gotta have guts."

Haas seems to have proved the existence of said guts with Chispa, his year-old restaurant in Coral Gables whose name in Spanish means "spark", and whose menu reflects influences from Cuba, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Spain.

"I actually get a lot of people, once they've eaten here, saying 'how can a gringo cook Latin food like this?" he marvels. Haas likes to use his food to create taste memories, crafting dishes for his customers that might just taste better than the dishes they remember from childhood or their native countries. "I try and pull on that heartstring a little bit," he admits. "If we can make that mac and cheese or churrascaria or paella taste as good as they think it did, then we've succeeded."

Since the late 1980's, Haas has been lumped in with what has been called "The Florida Five" or the "Mango Gang", a loose association of chefs who forged a new cuisine from South Florida's local products, flavors culled from the cooking of its vast immigrant population and a touch of classical refinement. Haas contends that the monikers were dreamed up by journalists eager to take credit for discovering the next big thing.

"Back in the early 90's, everybody was trying to figure out what Florida cooking was all about. The Southwest and Pacific Northwest styles had just come into their own, and low country cuisine in South Carolina, so it came out of that. Everyone is always trying to put a label on regional cuisine," he says. Haas was flattered to have been one of the first credited with cooking in this new style, but adds, "We were all using a lot more tropical fruits on the plate than we should have been."

Of course, those tropical fruits were not always so easy for South Florida chefs to come by, as Haas was surprised to learn.

"When I got to South Florida, it was still virgin territory. There weren't a lot of good restaurants, which was a double-edged sword. There wasn't a lot of competition, so you become a big fish in a small pond, but you also don't have many customers, and not a lot of products," he says, adding that the freshest seafood and best tropical fruits were being shipped up to restaurants and purveyors in New York. He eventually resorted to placing an ad in a local newspaper, seeking backyard growers willing to sell him fruit from their trees. Now, he says, new purveyors, established in response to the growing restaurant scene, provide him and his colleagues with specialty produce, meats and seafood. He adds, "I still do the backyard thing, though, because it's a lot more fun."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Haas lets slip that conceiving the thistle recipes for Art Culinaire took him outside the scope of Chispa's standard ingredients. "Once in a while we'll do a special with artichokes, but they don't play a day-to-day role on the menu. You don't really see a lot of artichokes in Latin American cooking," he says, but in a move befitting a culinary pioneer, he rose to the challenge, creating several dishes with more than a little spark.

GREEN MACHINE

SHAWN MCCLAIN

GREEN ZEBRA

CHICAGO, IL

"NEW DISHES COME FROM ALL DIRECTIONS," SAYS CHEF SHAWN McClain, and he should know. Having spent quite a bit of his adolescence living in Spain and travelling in Europe with his family (his father was a military doctor), he credits his overseas experiences, both as a child and as an adult, with positively influencing his palate, his choices of ingredients and his approach to cuisine. He adds, "Culture and perception and passion for food are great inspirations."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

mcClain spent seven years deftly melding eastern influence and western foundations at Trio, in Evanston, IL. He helped open the restaurant as a line cook in 1993, and three months later was promoted to sous chef. Within the year he'd been promoted again, to executive chef and partner, and he remained at Trio until 2001, when he left to open Spring, with partners Sue and Peter Drohomyrecky. John Mariani of Esquire promptly named McClain "Chef of the Year" for 2001. He was also named "Rising Star Chef of the Year" at the inaugural Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence, and Spring was nominated "Best New Restaurant" by the James Beard Foundation. While devising dishes for the seafood-driven restaurant, McClain began to consider moving vegetables to the center of the plate, and this idea eventually gave rise to Green Zebra, his second restaurant with the Drohomyreckys, which turns one in April 2005. Although he offers a few fish or poultry dishes for those diners who cannot fathom dinner without flesh, it is McClain's vegetarian and vegan offerings that have earned him an overwhelmingly positive critical response in his first year.

in addition to his numerous responsibilities at Spring and Green Zebra, McClain serves as a food ambassador to New Zealand, which made it easy for him to source the luminous baby abalone that garnish his salsify and apple soup (page 38). He explains his ambassadorial duties, saying, "My job is to evaluate and discuss current food and wines imported from New Zealand, as well as to evaluate products that may be beneficial to the US market in the future. Having travelled to New Zealand, I better understand their climatology, agriculture and aquaculture. Since they have completely opposite seasons, naturally something is always in season and at its peak flavor. The big drawback is the distance for export and time in shipping--although, believe it or not, fish and shellfish have a better shelf life than most vegetables. With time and more travel to New Zealand, more and more flights will be able to handle more perishable goods."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

as a top-rated chef in a major US city, McClain is naturally privy to the latest ideas, but he works hard to maintain a balance between innovating and staying true to his vision. "I feel compelled to stay in the learning curve for ingredients and techniques," he says, "but I would not call my cooking 'advanced modern', like that of Ferran Adria or Michel Bras, who take scientific approaches to food. The nature of what we are trying to do demands that we stay contemporary and fresh, so that we can continue to offer something new to our guests." This includes raw food preparations, which McClain occasionally offers at Green Zebra. At press time, the menu included a maki roll of raw coconut, nut-based "mayonnaise", avocado, cucumber and nori. "It is very challenging," admits McClain, "[but] I would like to explore more. There is always room in our kitchen for new ideas and new ingredients."

RELATED ARTICLE: Poached Eggs a la Roux Brothers (Serves 6)

robbin haas

Pinot Noir

Codorniu

Cava, Spain NV

directions

For the oyster sauce: In a small pot, heat oil; add onions and celery and season with salt and pepper. Add wine and reduce by half. Add oysters and oyster juice and bring to a simmer. Cook about one minute. Remove oysters and add heavy cream, thyme and oregano. Bring to a boil and reduce one minute. Add Parmesan cheese and scallions and season with salt and pepper. Reserve oysters and sauce separately.

For the salmon disc: Season salmon with dill, salt and pepper. In a small saute pan, heat butter until browned and add salmon. Saute one minute on each side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

For the artichokes: Cut off artichoke stems to form flat base. Snap off the tough outer leaves closest to stem. Trim about 1/2-inch from pointed top, then use scissors to snip off prickly tips of outer leaves. Rub cut edges with lemons and soak in acidulated water until ready to use. In a medium non-reactive pot, combine celery, garlic, white wine, lemon juice, parsley, thyme and chicken stock; season with salt and pepper. Add artichoke hearts and weigh down so that they are fully immersed in the cooking liquid. Cook until artichokes are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove artichokes and let cool in enough cooking liquid to cover.

To finish: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Warm artichokes and cooking liquid in oven. In saute pan, heat oil and add spinach. Saute until wilted and season with salt and pepper. To serve: Place one artichoke in center of plate and top with spinach. Add warm oysters and sauce and finish with poached egg. Place salmon disk and caviar quenelle on top of egg.

ingredients

For the oyster sauce:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup peeled and finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
3 tablespoons white wine
1/2 cup freshly shucked oysters
1/4 cup oyster juice
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 sprig thyme, leaves only, roughly chopped
1 sprig oregano, leaves only, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 scallion, cut on a bias into
1/4-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste

For the salmon disc:

12 ounces salmon, cut into six
 2-ounce circles Pinch of pickled dill
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

For the artichokes:

6 large artichokes
3 lemons, cut in half
4 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup white wine Juice of 2 lemons
4 sprigs parsley
4 sprigs thyme
2 quarts chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

To finish:

Artichoke hearts, from above
Olive oil, as needed
6 cups spinach
6 poached eggs
6 teaspoons caviar
Salt and pepper to taste

RELATED ARTICLE: Key West Shrimp, Serrano Ham, Corn Coulis and Chive Emulsion (Serves 2)

robbin haas

Sauvignon Blanc

Honig

Napa Valley, CA 2003

directions

For the Serrano ham tuile: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ham on sheet pan between two pieces of parchment paper. Cook in oven until crisp, about 25 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside until ready to use.

For the basil puree: Blanch basil in boiling salted water for 45 seconds. Immediately shock in ice water and drain. Roughly chop basil and squeeze out excess water. Transfer to a blender and puree with olive oil for one minute, or until bright green.

For the fava bean and artichoke puree: Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with metal blade. Puree until smooth and warm puree in a pot over low heat. Keep warm.

For the corn coulis: Shave corn kernels off cobs, using back of a knife. Scrape cobs to extract milk and reserve. In a small pot, heat oil; add onions and garlic and saute until translucent, about four minutes. Add corn, corn milk and fish fumet. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a blender. Puree until smooth, pass through a fine-mesh sieve and warm coulis in a pot over low heat. Keep warm.

For the chive emulsion: Place demi-glace into small pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in butter to emulsify. Add chives and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

To finish: Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a medium saute pan, lightly brown butter; add shrimp and saute until cooked through, about three minutes.

To serve: Place one shrimp in center of plate. Break tuile in half and place atop shrimp. Place another shrimp on top of tuile and place a dollop of warm artichoke and fava bean puree next to the shrimp. Drizzle corn coulis and chive emulsion around shrimp.

ingredients

For the Serrano ham tuile:

1 slice Serrano ham

For the basil puree:

1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil

For the fava bean and artichoke puree:

1/2 cup roughly chopped artichoke hearts, steamed
3/4 cup fava beans, steamed and peeled
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon basil puree, from above
1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

For the corn coulis:

2 corn cobs, husks removed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup peeled and finely chopped onions
1/2 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup fish fumet

For the chive emulsion:

6 tablespoons chicken demi-glace
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste

To finish:

4 Key West shrimp, size U-10
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

RELATED ARTICLE: Rib-Eye Steak with Crispy Cardoons (Serves 4)

robbin haas

Cabernel Sauvignon

Bodega Catena Zapata

Mendoza, Argentina 2000

directions

For the crispy cardoons: Fill a non-reactive bowl with water. Squeeze lemon juice into water and add juiced lemons and cardoons. Cut cardoons into 3 X 1/2-inch strips. Bring four quarts of water to a boil and add two tablespoons salt. Add cardoons and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Preheat deep-fryer to 350 degrees. Remove cardoons from water and pat dry. Dredge in flour, then egg and finally bread crumbs. Working in batches, fry cardoons until golden and crisp. Season with cheese, salt and pepper.

For the artichokes: Cut off artichoke stems to form flat base. Snap off tough outer leaves closest to stem. Trim about 1/2-inch from pointed top, then use scissors to snip off prickly tips of outer leaves. Rub cut edges with lemons and soak in acidulated water until ready to use. In a medium pot, combine celery, garlic, white wine, lemon juice, parsley, thyme and chicken stock; season with salt and pepper. Add artichoke hearts and weigh down so that they are fully immersed in cooking liquid. Cook until artichokes are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove artichokes and let cool in enough cooking liquid to cover. When cool, cut in half.

For the garlic, salsify and artichoke: In a small saucepan, combine olive oil and garlic and slowly poach until garlic is golden and cooked through. Remove garlic from oil and set aside, reserving both separately. In a saute pan, heat garlic oil; add artichoke hearts and salsify and season with sugar, salt and pepper. Saute until lightly caramelized and add garlic. Heat until warm, season and keep warm.

To finish: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot pan, sear rib-eye on both sides and roast in oven to desired doneness. Remove from oven and let rest for five minutes. Cut into four 8-ounce portions.

To serve: Place rib-eye on one side of plate. Arrange garlic, salsify and artichokes on other side and serve cardoons and mache on separate plate.

ingredients

For the crispy cardoons:

1 lemon, cut in half
2 tablespoons salt
4 to 6 cardoons, outer stalks discarded and inner stalks peeled
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated, as needed
Salt and pepper to taste

For the artichokes:

2 artichokes
3 lemons, cut in half
4 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup white wine
Juice of 2 lemons
4 sprigs parsley
4 sprigs thyme
2 quarts chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garlic, salsify and artichoke:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup garlic cloves, peeled
Artichoke hearts, from above
1 salsify root, peeled, blanched and cut on bias into 3-inch pieces
Pinch of granulated sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

To finish:

32-ounce rib-eye steak

For the garnish:

Micro mache greens

RELATED ARTICLE: Artichoke Cappuccino (Serves 8)

robbin haas

Albarine

Torre la Moreira

Rios Baixas, Spain 2003

directions

For the artichoke soup: In a soup pot, heat oil; add onions, celery and garlic and saute until translucent, about four minutes. Add artichoke hearts, salt and pepper. Stir for one minute over medium heat and deglaze with white wine. Reduce by half. Add vegetable stock, potatoes and bay leaf. Cook until vegetables are tender and remove bay leaf. Transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve and season with salt and pepper. Finish with butter.

For the foam "espuma": Steam milk, using an espresso machine's steam attachment.

To serve: Fill a coffee cup half way with "espuma" then pour hot soup into cup and serve.

ingredients

For the artichoke soup:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups peeled and roughly chopped onions
1/2 cup roughly chapped celery
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chapped
4 cups roughly chopped artichoke hearts
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons white wine
1 1/2 quarts vegetable stock
1 cup peeled and roughly chopped potatoes
1 bay leaf
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

For the foam "espuma":

1/2 cup whole milk

RELATED ARTICLE: Artichoke Tarte Tatin with Truffle Ice Cream (Serves 8)

robbin haas

Pinot Noir

Chandon

Carneros-Napa Yalley, CA 2001

directions

For the truffle ice cream: In a pot, combine milk and heavy cream and bring to a boil. In a bowl, whisk together yolks and sugar. Temper yolk mixture by adding one-third hot milk mixture to egg mixture while whisking constantly. Whisk tempered yolk mixture back into remaining hot milk mixture and place over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, add truffle oil and set in an ice water bath until chilled. Pour into ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Set aside in freezer.

For the artichoke tarte Tatin: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread butter in the bottom of 6-inch, ovenproof pan, followed by the granulated sugar smoothed on top. Arrange artichokes in pan, creating overlapping, concentric circles that cover the entire surface of pan. Place pan over high heat to begin caramelizing the sugar, turning the pan so that tart browns evenly and caramel does not burn. When caramel is light brown, season artichokes with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cheese. Top with puff pastry circle and place in oven. Cook until pastry is crisp, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Place a sheet pan on top of tarte and flip tarte over. Garnish with black truffles. Remove from pan and cut into 8 slices.

To serve: Place a truffle ice cream quenelle atop each slice and serve.

ingredients

For the truffle ice cream:

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
7 egg yolks
1 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
1/4 ounce white truffle oil

For the artichoke tarte Tatin:

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
6 ounces granulated sugar
12 artichoke hearts, blanched and cut in half
2 ounces Manchego cheese, finely grated
1 6-ounce puff pastry circle, rolled out to 1/4-inch thickness
1 1/2 tablespoons sliced black truffles in oil
Salt and pepper to taste

RELATED ARTICLE: Gratin of Braised Cardoons and Salsify with Roasted Sea Scallops and Orange-Hazelnut Reduction (Serves 6)

shawn mcclain

Condrieu, Le Petite Cote

Yves Cuilleron

Rhone, France 2002

directions

For the gratin: Fill a non-reactive bowl with water. Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice into water. Add juiced lemons, cardoons and salsify and hold until ready to use. In a medium pot, combine chicken stock, cream, bay leaves, peppercorns and drained cardoons and salsify; bring to a low simmer. Cook until vegetables are fork tender, but not too soft. Salsify will cook more quickly than cardoons, and should be removed before cardoons finish cooking. Once vegetables have been removed, reduce liquid to thick cream consistency. Remove from heat and strain. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut cardoons to match the length of salsify. On non stick baking sheet, build six stacks of alternating cardoon and salsify pieces. Spoon cooking liquid over each stack. Place in oven and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with bread crumbs, herbs and hazelnuts. Set aside and keep warm.

For the orange-hazelnut reduction: In a small pot, combine orange juice, vinegar and honey; reduce to a syrup consistency. Whisk in butter and hazelnut oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

For the scallops: Season scallops with salt and pepper. In a saute pan, heat oil until nearly smoking. Add scallops and butter and saute until both sides are caramelized. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and keep warm.

For the salsify chips: In a medium pan, heat vegetable oil. With a vegetable peeler, peel salsify into long thin curls. Toss with rice flour and deep fry in vegetable oil until crisp. Remove from pan with tongs, drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Place gratineed stacks under a salamander or broiler until top is browned. Remove from oven and place on six warm serving plates. Slice scallops lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices and divide slices among plates, there should be four slices per plate. Drizzle warm orange-hazelnut reduction around plates and garnish with hazelnuts and salsify chips.

ingredients

For the gratin:

3 lemons
1 pound cardoons, outer stalks discarded and inner stalks peeled
1 pound salsify, peeled and cut in half lenghwise
1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped fine herbs
2 tablespoons crushed hazelnuts, toasted
Salt and pepper to taste

For the orange-hazelnut reduction:

2 cups orange juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon hazelnut oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the scallops:

6 to 8 sea scallops, size U-10
Olive oil, as needed
2 teaspoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

For the salsify chips:

Vegetable oil for frying, as needed
1 large salsify root, peeled
2 tablespoons rice flour
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Hazelnuts

RELATED ARTICLE: Salsify and Heirloom Apple Soup with New Zealand Baby Abalone and Tahitian Vanilla (Serves 6)

shawn mcclain

Verdejo

Belondrade y Lurton

Rueda, Spain 2002

directions

For the soup: Fill a non-reactive bowl with water. Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice into water. Add juiced lemons and salsify and hold until ready to use. In a medium pot, melt butter; add shallots and garlic and sweat for two to three minutes. Add drained salsify and remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook until salsify is soft, about 30 minutes. Remove vanilla bean and transfer remaining ingredients to blender. Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper. If soup is too thick, heat more apple juice and chicken stock, add to soup and return to blender. Soup should be smooth and have a thick, creamy consistency. Set aside and keep warm.

For the abalone: Remove abalone from shells and use scissors to trim the dark apron around each piece. Rinse, pat dry, season with salt and pepper and dust with rice flour. Heat butter in a medium saute pan; add abalone and saute until lightly browned. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Set aside and keep warm.

To serve: Divide julienned heirloom apples among center of six serving bowls. Place three pieces of abalone atop the apples and carefully ladle six to eight ounces of soup around abalone. Garnish soup with three vanilla slivers and serve on charger plate garnished with abalone shells.

ingredients

For the soup:

2 lemons
2 pounds salsify, peeled and cut into 4-inch sections
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
3 heirloom apples, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 Tahitian vanilla bean*
2 cups fresh apple juice
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream

For the abalone:

18 baby abalone, 1 1/2 to 2-inch shells
4 tablespoons rice flour
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

To serve:

1/4 cup julienned mixed heirloom apples
2 Tahitian vanilla beans, cut into 18 slivers*

*The thickest, darkest and moistest of the vanilla beans. Available through ChefShop.com at 1-877-377-2491 or www.chefshop.com.

RELATED ARTICLE: Nicoise Style Artichoke Salad with Marinated Ahi Tuna, White Anchovies and Black Olive Vinaigrette (Serves 6)

shawn mcclain

Bandol Rose

Domaine Tempier

Provence, France 2003

directions

For the artichokes: Cut off artichoke stems to form flat base. Snap off the tough outer leaves closest to stem. Trim about 1/2-inch from the pointed top, then use scissors to snip off prickly tips of outer leaves. Rub cut edges with lemons and soak in acidulated water until ready to use. In a medium non-reactive pot, heat oil; add artichokes, bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic and lower heat. Cook until artichokes are tender. Remove artichokes, let cool and separate stems from hearts. Finely chop stems and reserve for tuna. With a spoon, carefully scoop out choke and discard. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.

For the black olive vinaigrette: In a bowl, combine olives, fennel seed, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.

For the tuna: In a bowl, combine tuna, reserved diced artichoke stems, chives and vinaigrette. Season with sea salt and pepper and chill until ready to use.

To serve: Place one artichoke heart in center of each of six chilled dishes. Spoon tuna mixture into each heart and top with anchovies, tomatoes, micro greens, chives and Parmesan.

ingredients

For the artichokes:

6 large globe artichokes
2 lemons, cut in half
3 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled and crushed

For the black olive vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons oil cured black olives, pitted and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon toasted fennel seed, crushed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

For the tuna:

1 pound sushi grade tuna, small dice
Diced artichoke stems, from above
1 tablespoon minced chives
3 tablespoons black olive vinaigrette, from above
Sea salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

12 marinated white anchovies
2 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely diced
2 tablespoons micro greens
1 tablespoon minced chives
1/2 cup finely shaved Parmesan