Baby Artichoke

These tiny purple artichokes, picked before the inner choke forms, are a concentrate of cynarin, a molecule chemically altering taste receptors (making everything that follows artificially sweet, a formidable challenge for wine pairings). Ultra-sensitive to enzymatic oxidation, they must be rapidly "turned" with a paring knife and immediately protected in an ascorbic acid (lemon) bath. Mediterranean "barigoule" cooking allows them to candy in olive oil and white wine.