Beef-stuffed artichokes with lemon

Method

1. If preparing original and lighter portions together, set aside the ingredients and quantities shown for the lighter portions; the remainder is for the original portions. Prepare the two versions separately wherever their cooking or seasoning differs. Divide the quantities given for the whole preparation between the pans or bowls, rather than using the full quantity in each. Bring enough water to cover the artichoke bottoms to the boil (1.5 litres in a 20 cm saucepan as a guide; adjust the pan and water level to the quantity of artichokes). Meanwhile, squeeze the allocated lemon and strain the juice: about 55 g, to keep in a bowl (30 g for simmering and 20–25 g for finishing). Peel the potatoes, cut lengthways into quarters and keep in a bowl of cold water until needed. Add the squeezed lemon shells to the boiling water, then the still-frozen artichoke bottoms, and blanch for 3 minutes: they soften without darkening. Drain upside down, leave to cool slightly, then pat thoroughly dry inside and out: a wet artichoke bottom will separate from its filling during frying. Empty and dry the saucepan.
2. Finely grate the 60 g onion for the filling and squeeze between your hands to remove its water. Very finely chop one-quarter of the garlic and 20 g parsley. Mix into the beef with the soft bread allocated to the filling, the beaten egg for the filling (55 g in total, divided between the versions), cinnamon, one-third of the turmeric, half the pepper and 4 g salt. Knead for 1 minute until sticky. To check the seasoning, cook a hazelnut-sized piece of filling in a small frying pan with a few drops of oil for 1 minute, then taste. Lightly salt the inside of the artichoke bottoms (1 g in total), dust each with a pinch of flour, then press 45–55 g filling into each: fill the hollow and form a dome, smoothing the filling right to the edges so it sticks firmly. Roll any remaining filling into meatballs of the same size.
3. For the fried artichokes only, beat the reserved coating egg (55 g in total) in a shallow bowl and put the remaining flour in another. Heat a shallow bath of sunflower oil to 170°C in a pan suited to the available oil volume (a 20 cm saucepan as a guide). Lightly flour each stuffed artichoke, tapping off the excess, then dip in the egg. Fry in batches of 3 or 4 without crowding, meat-side first, for 2–3 minutes per side, until a golden crust forms. Drain on a rack. Turn off the heat under the oil and leave it to cool safely to one side.
4. Finely slice the 80 g onion for the sauce and soften in the sauce’s olive oil (20 g in total) in the 28 cm sauté pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until translucent without colouring. Add the reserved three-quarters of the garlic, crushed, two-thirds of the turmeric, the remaining pepper and 5 g salt. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in 350 g water, bring to a simmer, add the drained potatoes, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Taste the juices: they should be well seasoned, as the potatoes and artichokes will absorb them.
5. Arrange the potatoes across the base and around the sides, then nestle the stuffed artichokes between them, meat-side up, in a single layer without overlapping; place any meatballs in the gaps. Pour in 30 g lemon juice. The liquid should reach about halfway up the artichoke bottoms; top up with reserved water if needed. Cover and simmer very gently for 30–35 minutes, adjusting the heat so only small bubbles break at the edges: a vigorous simmer will loosen the egg coating.
6. Check that a knife tip slides through the artichoke bottoms and potatoes, and that the filling reaches 75°C at the centre. If there is too much liquid, uncover for 5 minutes without stirring the artichokes. Off the heat, add the reserved 20–25 g lemon juice, taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt if needed: it should be distinctly lemony and well salted. Scatter over the 5 g finely chopped parsley and rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Divide the stuffed artichokes according to the planned portions, with the potatoes, plenty of sauce and bread for mopping up.

Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.