Gratin of artichokes with black olives and capers

Ingredients

Preparation: 25-30 minutes Cooking: 45 minutes SERVES 4 AS A STARTER 8 medium globe artichokes juice of 1 lemon 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thickly sliced 75g pitted black olives, roughly chopped 50g capers, rinsed 1 small bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped 3 tbsp breadcrumbs, made with stale white bread seasoning

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Cut the stalks off the end of each artichoke and, using a sharp knife and beginning at the base, cut off all the outer leaves and discard, leaving the heart and hairy choke at the centre. Brush with a little lemon juice. 2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and artichokes and cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes. Transfer the artichokes to an ovenproof dish, cut-side up, and sprinkle on the olives, capers, parsley, breadcrumbs and seasoning. 3. Drizzle over the remaining oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden. Serve hot or cold.