Baby artichokes a la barigoule

Squeeze half or a whole lemon into a bowl of water to keep the artichoke hearts from darkening.

Cut off a good part of each stem. Pluck off one or two rows of leaves, removing the purple ones until the paler inside is exposed.

Peel the stem with a good peeler, pressing hard; the skin is very bitter, so go neither too deep nor too shallow.

Pluck or peel away the remaining green parts around the base to expose the flesh; put each one straight into the lemon water.

Cut off the excess leaf at the top with a knife.

Optional: dig out the hairy choke with a melon baller or spoon until the hard base of the heart is reached, now or after cooking. Or simply cut the artichokes in half.

Warm 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat; add the sliced onion and carrots and sweat for one or two minutes.

Add the halved artichokes over the onions and carrots with the thyme, the bay leaf, the bruised garlic, a sprinkle of salt and a little pepper; shake the pan.

Add a little wine and top up with water to barely cover the artichokes; water cuts the acidity of the wine.

Cover and cook on medium-low to medium heat for 15 minutes.

Uncover and cook on high heat for a good 10 minutes to reduce the liquid to a semi-syrupy consistency that emulsifies the oil, wine, water and aromatics.

Off the heat, finely chop a tablespoon of parsley, the same of garlic and a little basil and mix together.

Just before serving, remove the thyme and bay leaf, sprinkle in the herb mix and stir in gently with a spoon. Serve lukewarm or cold.