This outstanding dip tastes nothing like the oily, flinty-textured dip recipes out there that use jarred artichokes. Instead, it tastes like true fresh artichoke hearts in all their buttery glory. It takes a little patience to trim the artichokes to get to the heart, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly, and once you taste fresh artichoke dip, you’ll never go back to the greasy, coarse recipes you’ve had in the past.MAKES 1¾ CUPS/420 ML1 lemon2 artichokes1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 shallot, finely chopped2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped1 tsp finely grated organic lemon zest½ cup/120 ml crème fraîche (see Dip Tip, page 118) or sour cream¼ cup/60 ml mayonnaise3 tbsp grated pecorino romano cheese1 pinch cayenne pepperFine sea saltFreshly ground black pepperFill a medium bowl with about 1½ cups/355 ml cold water and squeeze the juice of half of the lemon into the water. Using a serrated knife, trim the stalk of one artichoke to within 1 in/2.5 cm of its base. Saw off the top half of the artichoke leaves and snap off the remaining tough, dark green leaves around the outside of the artichoke until you reach the pale yellow cone of leaves in the center.
