This is a Mediterranean hybrid, intensely redolent of an Arab souk and an Italian market all in one. Find the best sundried tomatoes you can; some in jars are excellent, smooth-skinned and tender.
Serves 5
Make the dressing by liquidising the lemon with the rest of the dressing ingredients
If you are using fresh artichokes cook them first in plenty of salted water, with a cut up lemon immersed in the water too, they will take about 45 minutes to become tender.
Remove the leaves and prepare.
Heat the olive oil and on a fairly high heat fry the slices of artichoke for about 5-8 minutes or until golden brown all over.
Halfway through begin to add the saffron stock and the sliced garlic, stirring all the time until the liquid is mostly absorbed but creating a smooth sauce.
Add the olives and sundried tomatoes to the warm pan, then add the preserved lemon dressing, adding a little hot water if necessary.
Remove trom the heat and garnish generously with the toasted pine nuts and the parsley. Eat with warmed bread and a gutsy, peppery leaved salad. Pine nuts provide all the protein needed, but if you want more, Parmesan shavings on top go beautifully well.
6 artichoke bottoms, freshly cooked, or preserved in oil, sliced 1cm thick
2 tbsp olive oil, or oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes
Saffron stock made by infusing a pinch of saffron in up to 200ml boiling water
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
20 black olives, preferably rich and oily
12 pieces sundried tomatoes in oil
salt
For the dressing:
1 small preserved lemon
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
1 tbsp hot water
dash of Tabasco or fine pinch of cayenne
To serve:
2 tbsp pine nuts, dry toasted
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Parmesan (optional)
