Beer Battered Baby Artichokes

10 prep, 15min cook

Serves 6

Ingredients

12 baby artichokes, trimmed and halved

Juice of half a lemon

175g self-raising flour

150ml lager

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 free-range egg white

Method

Store the artichokes in a bowl of water and lemon juice while you make the batter. Sift the flour into a bowl and slowly mix in the lager until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, beat the egg white until it forms stiff peaks and add to the beer batter.

Heat an inch of vegetable oil in a heavybased pan to about 190°C, or until a piece of bread turns brown as soon as it is thrown in. Coat the artichoke hearts in the batter and fry in batches for about 4 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Sprinkle with salt and serve with a herby side salad and dipping sauce.