Char Quä (Chinese Artichokes)

Ingredients

• 6 whole Chinese artichokes (char quä) (Also called crosnes. Look for firm, pale, spiral-shaped tubers at Asian grocery stores or specialty food markets. Scrub well before use.)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (Used in the sauce. A light or mild olive oil works best here.)
• 1 tablespoon Quong Sang Chong (water chestnut flour) (This is water chestnut starch/flour, available at Asian grocery stores. It acts as a thickener for the sauce, giving it a light, slightly glossy texture.)
• 1 teaspoon syou (soy sauce) (Syou is an early romanisation of shoyu, meaning soy sauce. Use a light or regular soy sauce. Note: the original recipe lists 2 tablespoons in the ingredient list but specifies 1 teaspoon in the method — follow the method quantity of 1 teaspoon.)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (Chop finely just before adding to the sauce to preserve its bright green colour and fresh flavour.)
• 2 yolks hard-boiled egg yolks (From 2 large eggs. Hard-boil, peel, and separate the yolks from the whites. Only the yolks are used in this recipe.)
• 1 teaspoon (a little) olive oil (Used to whip the egg yolks smooth for the filling. Add just enough to create a creamy, pipeable texture.)
• 1 pinch (a little) salt (Added to the egg yolk filling to season it. Use fine salt so it dissolves easily.)
• 1 pot (enough to submerge artichokes) boiling salted water (Use a medium saucepan filled with water. Salt it generously before boiling — it should taste lightly of the sea.)

Instructions

1. 1Place 2 whole eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water by at least 2.5 cm (1 inch). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat slightly and cook for 10 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water and leave to cool for at least 5 minutes — this stops the cooking and makes them easier to peel. Once cool, peel the eggs, carefully separate the yolks from the whites, and set the yolks aside. The whites are not needed for this recipe.
2. 2Place all 6 Chinese artichokes (char quä) in a bowl of cold water. Gently scrub each one with your fingers or a soft vegetable brush to remove any dirt from the crevices of their spiral shape. Rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Set aside. Chinese artichokes are small and delicate — handle them gently to avoid breaking them apart.
3. 3Fill a medium saucepan with enough water to comfortably submerge the artichokes and bring it to a full rolling boil over high heat. Add a generous pinch of salt — the water should taste lightly salty. Carefully add the washed artichokes to the boiling salted water. Reduce heat to medium and boil for approximately 20 minutes, until the artichokes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. While they boil, begin preparing the sauce in the next step.
4. 4While the artichokes are boiling, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan or heatproof bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of water chestnut flour (Quong Sang Chong). Stir vigorously with a small whisk or fork until the mixture is completely smooth with no lumps — this is important, as lumps will not cook out later. Slowly pour in enough boiling water, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a pourable cream (similar to single cream or a light custard). Add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce (syou) and stir to combine. Place the saucepan over low heat and bring the sauce just to a gentle boil, stirring continuously. As soon as it begins to bubble, add the 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley and stir in gently. Remove from heat immediately to keep the parsley bright green.
5. 5Place the 2 hard-boiled egg yolks in a small bowl. Add a small drizzle of olive oil (about 1 teaspoon) and a pinch of salt. Using a fork, mash and whip the yolks together with the oil and salt until completely smooth and creamy, with no dry crumbles remaining. The mixture should be soft enough to spoon or pipe into the centre of each artichoke. If it seems too stiff, add just a tiny drop more olive oil and continue mixing. Set aside.
6. 6Once the artichokes are tender, carefully drain them using a colander or slotted spoon. Allow them to cool for just a minute so they are safe to handle. Select a small serving platter or individual plates. If you have large green leaves (such as lettuce, spinach, or any decorative edible leaf), place one leaf under each artichoke to create a green lining — this is both decorative and traditional to the presentation. Arrange the 6 artichokes in an attractive pattern on the platter.
7. 7Using a small spoon or a piping bag (a zip-lock bag with one corner snipped works well), fill the centre of each artichoke with a small mound of the whipped egg yolk mixture. The pale yellow yolk nestled in the centre of each artichoke gives the appearance of a water lily — a beautiful, flower-like presentation. Once all artichokes are filled, spoon the warm parsley sauce evenly over and around the artichokes on the platter. Serve immediately while the sauce is warm and the colours are vibrant.