Christmas Recipes from France

  • 3 medium lemons (about 15 ounces total, 425g)
  • 3 quarts cold water (3L)
  • 6 large artichokes (about 4 pounds total, 1.8kg)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 36 small radishes (8 ounces total, 230g), washed
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar (60ml)
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Pinch salt and freshly ground white pepper
  • ½ cup walnut oil (120ml)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1 ½ pounds lump crab meat (680g), picked over
  • 2 strips pimento, diced, for garnish
  • 1 small head radicchio (about 3 ounces, 85g)c

Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into 1 quart [1L] of water in a large bowl. Cut the stems of the artichokes even with the bottoms. Pull off and discard the leaves.

Remove and discard the chokes using a melon baller. Trim the bottoms and put them in the lemon water.

Squeeze the juice from the remaining 2 lemons into the 2 quarts [2L] cold water in a large pot. Add the vegetable oil and whisk in the flour. Bring the liquid to the boil and add the artichoke bottoms; reduce the heat and simmer until the point of a knife penetrates them easily, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim the radishes and make thin parallel cuts from the root end almost to the stem end without cutting through. Press down lightly on each radish to make a fan shape. Reserve.

To make a vinaigrette, process the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper with the metal blade of a food processor, about 5 seconds. With the motor running, pour the walnut oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process until mixed, about 5 seconds.

Place each artichoke bottom on an individual serving plate. Spoon 1 tablespoon vinaigrette into each artichoke bottom and sprinkle each with ½ teaspoon chives. Divide the crab meat into 6 equal portions and mound it onto the artichoke bottoms, drizzling with additional vinaigrette. Sprinkle each with another ½ teaspoon chives and a few pieces of pimento. Surround each filled artichoke with radicchio leaves and radish fans. Pass any remaining vinaigrette separately.

Makes 6 servings [about 8 ounces each, 230g].

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