Ingredients

For the baby artichokes
10 baby artichokes , peeled and turned
400-500ml/14-18fl oz olive oil, or enough to cover
lemon juice, to season
salt, to season
For the parmesan purée
150g/5oz red desire potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
150g/5oz parmesan
150g/5oz crème fraiche
lemon juice
For the green olive purée
100g/3½oz pitted green olives
50ml/5fl oz chicken stock
For the sherry vinegar jelly
120g/4oz sherry vinegar
13g vegetarian setting agent
For the red mullet
4 x 125g/4½oz red mullet fillets, descaled, filleted and pin boned (you can ask your fishmonger to do this)
olive oil, for frying
lemon juice, to taste
sea salt
For the crispy artichokes
2 x globe artichokes, peeled and turned
olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
To garnish
small handful of sea purslane
50g/1½oz Iberico ham, sliced into strips

Method

Preparation method
For the baby artichokes, heat a pan of olive oil to 60C/140F using a thermometer, place the peeled and turned artichokes into the oil. Cook for one hour making the sure to keep the temperature as close to 60C/140F throughout.
Once cooked, cut the artichokes in half from top to bottom. Heat a pan with a little oil and caramelise on all sides until golden brown. Season with lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside until needed.
For the parmesan purée, place the potatoes into a pan and cover with cold water, bring up to the boil and cook until soft. Place into a bowl of iced water to refresh.
Place the potatoes into a food processor with the parmesan and crème fraiche and blend to a smooth paste, pass through a fine sieve and season with a little lemon juice.
For the green olive purée, place the olives and chicken stock into a pan and bring to the boil, cook for 8 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the olives from the pan and put into a food processor, and begin to blend, gradually adding the chicken stock until you get the consistency of a smooth purée. Pass the olive mixture through a fine sieve and leave to cool.
For the sherry vinegar jelly, place the sherry vinegar and 100g/3½oz water into a pan and bring to the boil, add the vegetarian setting agent and dissolve. Pass through a sieve into a square container and leave to set for about 10 minutes in the fridge or until firm. Once set, cut into cubes.
For the red mullet, wash the fillets and dry on kitchen towel.
To cook the mullet, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Heat an oven-proof non-stick pan with a little oil and place the fillets skin side down for about 1½ minutes or until nice and crisp, then place in the oven for two minutes to cook through.
Season the fillets with lemon juice and sea salt.
For the crispy artichokes, slice the artichokes on a mandolin or very finely with a knife. Heat a non-stick pan with enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and add the artichokes, cook until crispy. Remove from the pan and leave to drain on kitchen towel.
Dust with fresh thyme leaves.
To serve, place the mullet along one side of the plate, add a large smear of the parmesan purée alongside and garnish with the baby artichokes, crispy artichokes, sherry vinegar jelly, Iberico ham and sea purslane. Finish with a spoonful of green olive purée.

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