“This dish is cooked all over Greece. In northern Greece it’s made with leeks or lettuce instead of artichokes, as this produce is more readily available there, whereas in Crete, artichokes thrive in the hot weather. We love peeling the artichokes and biting the ends off – they’re too good to throw away,” says John Rerakis. “Make sure you have plenty of crusty bread for the sauce.”
Ingredients
Method
Main
1.Heat oil in a large casserole over medium-high heat, add onion and stir occasionally until tender (4-5 minutes). Add lamb in batches, stir occasionally until browned all over (3-4 minutes), then add dill, salt and enough cold water to just cover meat (about 600ml). Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper, bring to the simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer until just tender (2½-3 hours).
2.Meanwhile, fill a bowl with acidulated cold water (see cook’s notes p218). Working with one artichoke at a time, remove tough outer leaves, then trim top and peel back stalk. Halve lengthways, remove choke with a teaspoon (discard), rub cut-sides with lemon half, place in acidulated water and set aside.
3.When lamb is just tender, increase heat to medium and bring to the boil. Drain artichokes, add to lamb and cook until just tender (4-5 minutes), then remove from heat.
4. Meanwhile whisk eggs, lemon juice and flour in a bowl. Whisk in 500ml lamb liquid, then return liquid to lamb mixture and stir to combine. Return lamb to heat, bring just to the boil and immediately remove from heat. Season generously to taste, transfer to a baking dish to cool slightly, then divide among shallow bowls and serve hot with bread to mop up the lemony juices.
