from The Butcher, The Baker, The wine & Cheese Maker by the Sea
This dish is a beautiful celebration of two west coast treasures: glorious Dungeness crab and Glen Valley’s beautiful artichokes. This is a perfect starter dish or serves as part of an elegant brunch or lunch menu. Contributing chef Quang Dang explains, “Glen Valley Artichokes is a farm that is unique to the Fraser Valley; artichokes are a challenge to grow and they are one of the few farmers in BC willing to grow them.”
Ingredients
Artichokes:
6 Glen Valley artichokes
1 lemon, cut in half
6 Tbsp white wine vinegar
6 Tbsp kosher sea salt
Parsley Sauce:
1 bunch Italian parsley, picked
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
Dungeness Crab and Leek Stuffing:
2 Tbsp butter
1 leek, julienned
½ lb Dungeness crab, picked fresh
1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juiced
½ tsp togorashi chili powder
Salt and pepper
Directions
Artichokes: Wash the artichokes. To obtain the flesh from the heart of the artichoke, start by tearing off the first three layers of leaves working your way up from the stem to the top. Chef’s note: wear latex gloves on one of your hands to help prevent the tips of the leaves from poking you. Remove the green leaves only – once you see yellow on the leaves, stop. Using a sharp knife, cut the top of the artichoke off about 1 inch down. Holding the artichoke in your hand and using a paring knife, cut around the artichoke carefully until you reach the heart. Trim off all the green skin leaving the yellow-colored artichoke heart. Immediately rub the heart with fresh lemon juice to prevent it from oxidizing. Store in acidulated cold water (a few good squeezes of lemon juice added to a container of water) until you are ready to cook them. Place the artichokes into a pot large enough to fit all of the artichokes and water to cover them. Add the vinegar and salt. You may need to add a bit more salt and vinegar, so taste the poaching liquid (it should be quite seasoned yet balanced). Place a small kitchen towel on top of the artichokes to help keep them submerged. Cook on medium heat until fork tender. Remove from heat. Let the artichokes cool in the liquid. Once cool, using a sturdy spoon scoop out the middle of the artichoke heart (the choke, the furry fibrous stuff in the middle) and discard.
Parsley Sauce: Bring a pot of water to boil, blanch the parsley for 30 seconds. Strain it through a fine sieve. Place into a high-powered blender, add salt, sugar and oil and blend until you have a smooth puree. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
Dungeness Crab & Leek Stuffing: In a sauté pan over medium heat, add the butter and leeks and sweat until the leeks are tender. Add the crabmeat and mix well and heat until the crabmeat is warm. Fold in the parsley, lemon juice and togorashi. Season to taste. Stuff into hollowed out artichokes and serve immediately with parsley sauce.
Serves 4
Wine Pairing
Terravista Vineyards Fandango…A blend of two white grape varieties, Albarino and Verdejo, this is the only wine of these grapes produced in Canada! Complex, yet delicate aromas of crushed herbs mingled with scents of early summer pear, peach and melon. Freshness reigns over the palate with energy and balanced tension that lasts well after the last drop. https://www.terravistavineyards.com/
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: Ok, for some of us who don’t want to go through the whole artichoke part of this recipe (or don’t have access to fresh artichokes) use the bottled/canned artichokes…not as fresh but will do in a pinch. Same with the crab…landlocked provinces may have slim pickings to fresh crab but frozen/canned will also work. Togorashi, a Japanese spice blend may not be a familiar seasoning, but you can substitute a mix of red pepper flakes, toasted sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt. For a more nuanced flavor, add ground ginger, citrus zest (orange or lemon), and either Sichuan peppercorns or black pepper for a bit of heat.
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