This is a lovely, light salad using my favourite combination of roasted artichokes and the delicate taste of tomatoes, topped with a light truffle mayonnaise. It makes for a brilliant starter on any occasion and is easy to put together.
Everything I serve is simple, yet eloquent, and made on site using seasonal ingredients. At C Garden we pride ourselves on quality, variety and originality. I always believe in using fresh ingredients - it keeps everything tasting clean. My customers have the reassurance that they are getting the best produce available all year round.
This recipe serves two people as a starter. To prepare, begin by peeling four globe artichokes, leaving the heart only.
Add these into a pan containing 100ml of very hot olive oil, one tablespoon of fennel seeds, and a basic mirepoux (one finely chopped carrot, celery stick and onion). Roast all of these together and add a pinch of salt.
Once nicely coloured, add some water - just enough to cover the ingredients - and simmer until the artichoke hearts are tender. Set aside, allow to cool, then strain off the excess liquid and other ingredients.
Next, halve 20 cherry tomatoes and place in a bowl, adding 20g chopped herbs (of your choice), salt and a sprinkle of caster sugar. Then mix slightly, place on a lined baking tray and slow cook in a pre-heated oven at 60°C for approximately two hours.
The truffle mayonnaise is based on a basic mayonnaise recipe, but replace the oil you would normally use with grape seed oil and some white truffle oil to taste.
To make, whisk three egg yolks together, slowly adding 300ml of grape seed oil and the truffle oil until you get the right consistency, then season to taste. Sometimes I will also use black truffle trimmings if there are any spare in my kitchen.
I tend to use rocket for the salad leaves, because the peppery taste complements the other flavours.
To prepare the salad, drizzle some olive oil onto 200g rocket and mix well before plating. Then quarter the artichokes and arrange them over the rocket, placing a few tomatoes on top. Finally, drizzle the salad in truffle mayonnaise before serving. FM
Dan Ostler is head chef at C Garden in London. Born in Oxford, Ostler emigrated to South America at the age of eight and lived there for 11 years. It was during this time that he discovered his passion for both food and culture, learning to express himself through his cooking. With a new-found desire, Ostler returned to the UK to pursue his love of food and fine dining.
Starting at The Square in Mayfair, where the majority of his training was completed, Ostler then passed through Tom Aikens and Locatelli's, along with a selection of Michelin Starred restaurants, before heading up the team at C Garden. For more information on the restaurant go to http://www.cgarden.co.uk