Greek Artichokes with Peas (Anginares me Araka)

Anginares me araka pairs two vegetables that peak at exactly the same moment in spring, artichoke hearts and fresh peas, simmered together gently in olive oil with spring onion and a real amount of dill, giving a dish that tastes distinctly of the season it is made in rather than something that could be thrown together any time of year.

It shares its whole flavour profile with the lamb and artichoke fricassee found elsewhere on this site, minus the meat, which makes it a genuinely good vegan main course or side depending on how it is served, rather than simply a lesser version of a meat dish.

Fresh peas, briefly in season, give the best result, though good quality frozen peas, added only in the final few minutes, are an entirely reasonable substitute the rest of the year.

Key preparation steps

1. Trim fresh artichokes to the hearts, or use frozen ones.
2. Cook spring onion gently in olive oil.
3. Add the artichokes and simmer until nearly tender.
4. Add peas and dill, and finish with lemon.

Preparing the artichokes

Trim fresh artichokes down to the tender hearts, dropping each into water with lemon juice added to stop discolouration, exactly as with any other artichoke dish. Thawed frozen artichoke hearts are a completely reasonable, much faster substitute.

Building the base

Cook a generous amount of sliced spring onion gently in a good quantity of olive oil until soft, then add the artichoke hearts along with a little water or light stock and simmer for fifteen minutes, since artichokes need a genuine head start over fresh peas, which cook through far faster.

Adding the peas and finishing

Add fresh or frozen peas and a generous amount of chopped dill, and simmer for a further eight to ten minutes, until the peas are just tender rather than overcooked and dull. Finish with a generous squeeze of lemon off the heat, which brightens the whole dish.

What matters in this dish