When spring arrives at The River Cafe, we make vignole. Think of it as a Roman vegetable stew, though as executive chef Sian Wyn Owen says, “I’m not a fan of the word stew. I would describe vignole as an assembly of the most exciting ingredients of spring—peas from the pod, tender broad beans and carciofini, the baby artichokes from the market in Milan.”
What makes vignole so delicious is the preparation of the vegetables. In French cooking, they might be just blanched, keeping them crisp and bright. But in Italy, vegetables are cooked slowly until they’re soft, turning a darker colour and absorbing the flavour of the olive oil. One of my strongest memories is of entering a restaurant in Rome with a center table laid with plates of seasonal vegetables served at room temperature—braised, roasted or boiled.
The secret to vignole is that its various ingredients are cooked together, gradually releasing their flavours and becoming one. In The River Cafe, we start making vignole in the afternoon, waiters podding peas and broad beans, chefs trimming artichokes and making stock.
Once all the vegetables are prepped, we cook spring onions and sliced garlic in olive oil over a low heat until they are soft but not brown. We add the peas and broad beans in equal measure along with the artichokes. We stir them together and add just enough light chicken stock, vegetable stock, or even water, to cover.
We put a cartouche of thinly sliced prosciutto on top, creating a layer that helps the vegetables gently steam. After about 20 minutes, when the vegetables are soft, we remove the prosciutto and thinly slice it before adding back to the pan. The addition of chopped fresh mint brightens and lifts the dish.
Everyone has their own way of enjoying vignole. I like to serve it as an antipasto—other chefs might serve it with lamb or pigeon cooked in our wood-fired oven. Decide how you like it best, and prepare it now. It’s the ultimate taste of spring.
Vignole
Serves 4
4 small Violetta artichokes with their stalks
Juice of 1 lemons
.75kg (about 1.5lbs) each peas and young broad beans in their pods
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
4 slices prosciutto
1 large handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
50ml (2-3 ounces) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
4 slices sourdough
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
Prepare the artichokes but leave them whole.
Remove the choke with a teaspoon, then cut each artichoke vertically into eight segments. Drop immediately into a bowl of cold water with lemon juice.
Remove the peas and broad beans from their pods.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil and gently fry the onions and garlic until starting to soften. Add the artichokes and continue frying gently until the onions are translucent. Stirring, add the peas and broad beans. Season and pour in enough water or stock to come 1cm above the top of the vegetables. Bring to the boil. Lay the slices of prosciutto over the top, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid. Lift out the prosciutto and cut into pieces, then return to the pan with the chopped mint and 50ml of extra virgin olive oil. Season well.
For the bruschetta, toast the bread on both sides, and gently rub one side only with garlic. Pour on more extra virgin olive oil, then serve the vignole warm or at room temperature with the bruschetta.
Exclusive Clip: Rian Johnson on Ruthie’s Table 4
I’m delighted to share an exclusive clip with subscribers and followers from my recent conversation with Rian Johnson, featured on Ruthie’s Table 4.
Listen as he discusses making tobacco flavoured ice cream, perfecting his custard game and the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe…..
