Confit Artichokes, Asparagus & Fava Beans

with Truffled Potato Purée

This is one of those recipes I’ve been meaning to share since winter.

I made it back when black truffle was still in season, around the time when artichokes, asparagus, and fava beans were all starting to overlap. It felt like one of those rare little seasonal windows where late winter and early spring meet on the same plate.

The base is simple: a warm, creamy potato purée, enriched with a little fermented macadamia cream, topped with tender artichokes slowly cooked in olive oil, white wine, bay leaf, and shallot. Then come the asparagus and fava beans, just cooked enough to stay green and fresh.

And then, because I still had a piece of fresh black truffle from the truffle recipe I shared a while ago (Gnocchi recipe here), I grated a little over the hot potato purée right before serving.

You really don’t need the truffle for this recipe. The dish is already rich, comforting, and beautiful without it. But if you ever have fresh black truffle in season, this is exactly the kind of simple, warm dish where it makes sense.

Just please don’t use commercial truffle oil. Most of it tastes artificial and overpowering, and it would completely take over the delicate flavor of the artichokes, asparagus, fava beans, and olive oil.

So yes, I’m posting a slightly wintery recipe a bit late. But honestly, good seasonal food doesn’t always follow the content calendar perfectly. Sometimes you just cook something beautiful, procrastinate posting it for two months, and eventually decide it still deserves a place here.

Ingredients

Serves 2–3

Potato purée

• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• Water, for boiling
• A splash of unsweetened soy milk, plus ⅓–½ cup more for mashing
• Salt
• ⅓–½ cup fermented macadamia cream
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp white or black pepper
• Optional: fresh black truffle

Vegetables

• 4–6 fresh artichokes
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1–2 cups fresh fava beans, removed from the pods
• 1 bunch green asparagus
• ½ cup good extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, peeled and halved
• 1 bay leaf
• ⅓ cup white wine
• ½ cup water, plus more if needed
• Salt
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Method

1. Cook the potatoes

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Cook them in salted water with a splash of soy milk until completely soft.

Drain well, then mash with the fermented macadamia cream, nutmeg, pepper, and enough soy milk to make a thick, creamy purée. Taste and adjust the salt.

For a smoother result, use a potato ricer. For a more rustic version, a potato masher is fine.

2. Blanch the fava beans

Boil the fava beans in salted water for 4–5 minutes, then drain.

If they’re young and tender, you can leave them as they are. If they’re larger, peel off the outer skins by pinching a small opening and squeezing out the bright green bean inside.

Set aside.

3. Prepare the artichokes

Fill a bowl with cold water and lemon juice.

Trim the artichokes down to the hearts, keeping the stems attached if possible. Remove the tough outer leaves, trim the top, and peel the stem and base.

Place each artichoke straight into the lemon water as you finish it to stop it from browning.

4. Cook the artichokes

In a wide, low pot, warm the olive oil with the shallot and bay leaf over medium-low heat.

Drain the artichokes and place them in the pot. Let them gently cook in the oil for 2–3 minutes.

Add the white wine and let it bubble for a couple of minutes. Add ½ cup water and a pinch of salt, then cover and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, or until the artichokes are tender when pierced with a knife.

The liquid should reduce into a rich, aromatic olive oil sauce.

5. Finish the vegetables

Cut the asparagus into 4–5 cm pieces.

Once the artichokes are tender, add the asparagus. Cover and cook for 1–2 minutes.

Add the fava beans and cook for another 2 minutes, just to warm them through. Stir in the chopped parsley at the end.

Taste and adjust the salt. The pan should be left with mostly fragrant olive oil and a little concentrated vegetable broth, not lots of liquid.

6. Serve

Spoon the hot potato purée into a deep plate.

Arrange the artichokes, asparagus, and fava beans on top. Spoon over some of the warm olive oil from the pot.

Finish with fresh black truffle grated over the hot purée, if using.

Serve immediately.

Fermented macadamia cream

Blend 1 cup macadamias with ½–¾ cup water until thick and smooth. Stir in 1 probiotic capsule, transfer to a clean jar, and leave loosely covered at room temperature overnight.

The next day, it should be lightly tangy and creamy, almost like a mild crème fraîche. Add a pinch of salt before using.

Don’t over-ferment it. You want gentle acidity, not a strong sour flavor.

No time to ferment? Use a simple macadamia or cashew cream with a little lemon juice instead.