Yotam Ottolenghi's globe artichoke and mozzarella with candied lemon recipe

To pre-empt any protest about the work involved here, I have some short cuts: instead of cleaning and cooking artichokes, use frozen or jarred hearts or bases; and while the candied lemon looks and tastes fantastic, juice and grated zest are fine. See how kind I am? Serves four. 4 large globe artichokes 3 lemons, halved 2 bay leaves 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 onion, peeled and quartered 150g gem lettuce leaves, cut into 1cm-wide strips 200g buffalo mozzarella 10g each chopped parsley, mint and basil 120ml olive oil 1 crushed garlic clove Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the candied lemon 1 lemon 35g caster sugar Remove and discard the artichoke stems, then remove the leaves until you reach the heart. Cut this in two lengthways and use a small knife to clear all the inedible bits (tough leaves, "hairs"), so you're left with a clean shell. As you work, smear the artichokes with the juice of one lemon, so they don't discolour. Put the prepared artichokes in a large pan, squeeze in the juice of the other two lemons and throw in two squeezed halves as well. Cover with water, add the bay, thyme, onion and plenty of salt, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Lift out the artichokes and leave to cool. For the candied lemon, use a vegetable peeler to shave off wide strips of zest (avoid the white pith). Cut into 1-2mm thick slices, or julienne, and put into a small pan. Squeeze the lemon, add water to make up to 100ml and pour into the pan. Add the sugar, bring to a light simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes, until reduced to about a third. Set aside to cool. To assemble, cut the artichoke halves into 2cm thick wedges and arrange on a platter with the lettuce. Break the cheese into large, uneven chunks and dot the salad with them. Stir together the herbs, oil and garlic, season liberally with salt and spoon over the vegetables and cheese. Scatter some candied zest on top and drizzle with a little syrup. Finish with a sprinkle of black pepper. • Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi in London.