Tinos Anginares me Koukia (Αγκινάρες με Κουκιά)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •wide heavy pot with lid, 28cm
• •large bowl for lemon water, at least 3L
• •small spoon or melon baller for removing the choke
• •small whisk for the lemon-flour sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the beans

   Shell the broad beans. If they are small, tender, and bright green, leave the skins on. If they are large or gray-green, blanch them in boiling water for 60 seconds, cool them under cold water, and slip off the pale skins. Old skins bring bitterness to a gentle pot.

2. 2

   Trim the artichokes

   Fill a large bowl with 2 liters cold water and the juice of 1 lemon. Work on one artichoke at a time: pull away the dark outer leaves until you reach the pale tender ones, cut off the top third, trim the stem to about 4cm, peel the stem, and scrape out any hairy choke. Quarter the heart, rub every cut surface with a lemon half, and drop it into the lemon water. Trim boldly. Tough leaves do not soften into kindness.

   The lemon water is not decoration. Artichokes darken fast once cut, and the acid keeps their flavor clean beside the sweet beans.
3. 3

   Soften the onions

   Warm 90ml of the olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add the yellow onion, spring onions, and salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft and sweet but not browned.

4. 4

   Stew the vegetables

   Drain the artichokes and add them to the pot with the broad beans. Add 350ml hot water, 45ml lemon juice, the black pepper, and half the dill. The liquid should come about halfway up the vegetables, not drown them. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until the artichoke stems are tender when pierced.

5. 5

   Bind with lemon

   Whisk the flour with the remaining 30ml lemon juice and 120ml hot liquid from the pot until smooth. Pour it around the vegetables, not directly onto one spot, and add the remaining dill. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, shaking the pot gently, until the sauce turns glossy and lightly thick. Taste for salt and lemon.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Take the pot off the heat and drizzle over the remaining 30ml olive oil. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Anginares me koukia are best warm, not boiling hot, with bread for the lemony oil at the bottom of the plate.

Chef Tips

• •Buy artichokes that feel heavy, with tight leaves and stems that look freshly cut. Broad bean pods should be firm and full. If the market doesn't have both at the same time, the calendar is telling you the truth.
• •Young broad beans can keep their skins. Older beans need the quick blanch and peel, or their skins turn chewy and a little bitter in the lemon sauce.
• •Frozen artichoke hearts and frozen broad beans can make an honest Tuesday pot when spring has passed. They will not taste like the Tinos field version, but they will still give you dinner. Do not thaw them into a puddle first.
• •This is nistisimo, so it belongs naturally on a Lenten or Holy Week table. Serve it with country bread, olives, and sliced radishes. After Easter, a piece of feta beside it is allowed, but the pot itself needs none.
• •Broad beans are not safe for people with G6PD deficiency, also called favism. For that table, choose another spring ladero dish rather than trying to make this one behave.

Advance Preparation

• •Shell the broad beans up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Peel large beans after blanching, then chill them.
• •Trim artichokes no more than 2 hours ahead and keep them submerged in lemon water in the refrigerator.
• •The finished dish can be cooked 1 day ahead. Warm it gently and finish with a fresh thread of olive oil and a little dill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 360g)