Steamed artichokes with whipped brown butter

Method

1. Start by browning the butter. Spoon half the butter into a frying pan and melt over a medium-high heat. Continue to cook until it starts to go brown and smell nutty. You will see little golden flecks appear – watch carefully so these don’t burn. Remove from the heat.
2. Place the remaining butter in a medium bowl and pour over the contents of the frying pan, scraping any bits from the bottom into the bowl. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and a few gratings of lemon zest, then allow to cool completely until the butter starts to solidify.
3. Using electric beaters, whisk the butter until creamy, pale and speckled, then refrigerate while you steam the artichokes.
4. To prepare the artichokes, first remove a layer of the tough outer leaves, then cut off the top third of the vegetable. Trim the tips of the leaves around the sides with a pair of scissors and rub the top and any exposed flesh with the lemon half. Trim the stem down so you can sit the artichokes upright.
5. Put the lemon half in a large, lidded saucepan and pour in about 2.5cm water. Place a metal steaming basket inside the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Sit the artichokes in the basket and clamp on the lid. The artichokes will take anything from 30–45 minutes to steam completely, depending on their size. You will know they are cooked when you can pull a leaf out with no resistance. Remove the butter from the fridge and re-whip if necessary.
6. Serve the artichokes with the whipped brown butter on the side.