From myth to Mediterranean kitchen
Tough choice for the suitor though… Spend all eternity with a God she didn’t love, or else the rest of her life as an artichoke. She really mustn’t have liked him very much!
Even if that never actually happened (!), it is certainly true that artichokes are native to Greece and the rest of the Mediterranean, and, believe it or not, they are a type of thistle. The word for artichoke in Spanish is alcachofa, and like most Spanish words beginning with al-, it derives from an Arabic word: al-kharshūfa.
What’s also true is that artichokes are extremely healthy and good for us, rich as they are in dietary fibre, antioxidants and vitamins. Spain is the second-largest producer of globe artichokes worldwide, behind Italy, and they are in season from December to May. Of course, they can be eaten year-round as well as preserved alcachofas, which are readily available in jars or tins. When in season, though, we recommend them fresh!
This delicious recipe is very simple, especially if you are using tinned artichoke hearts. If you’d like to try your hand at cooking your own fresh artichokes, just follow these instructions.
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken thighs
- 4 chicken legs
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons chopped thyme
- 8 tablespoons of olive oil
- 250ml of chicken broth
- 250g (approx.) of cooked white beans (alubias blancas cocidas)
- 400g of cooked artichoke hearts
Preparation:
- Mix the lemon, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and half the olive oil.
- Place the chicken in an oven dish with the mixture, coating the chicken well.
- Cover with aluminium foil and bake at 180º for 30 minutes.
- Bake for a further 15 minutes uncovered at 200º.
- Separately, mix the beans, artichoke hearts and the rest of the olive oil
- Season with salt and pepper and heat gently. (Remember, they’re already cooked)
- Serve the chicken on a bed of the beans and artichoke hearts.