Vegetables 'à la Grecque' with sardines
"À la Greque" is a classic vegetable dish from traditional French bistro cuisine. In this summer version, we enrich it with our own Fish Tales sardines for a delicious twist!
Cut off the stem and the tough ends of the top part of the fresh artichokes, then trim the remaining leaves around the base of the artichoke.
Cut the top of the artichokes crosswise until you reach the "fibers." Remove the "fibers" with a teaspoon, leaving only the artichoke heart. Slice the artichoke hearts lengthwise into equal pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat.
Add the coriander seeds, spring onions, mushrooms, celery, zucchini, and garlic cloves to the pan. Stir for 1 minute, then add the tomato paste. Stir for another minute and deglaze with the white wine.
Add the lemon juice and saffron powder. Stir until everything is well combined, then add the artichoke hearts. Pour in 200 milliliters of water, or just enough to cover the vegetables.
Make a 'bouquet garni' by tying the parsley, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves together with a piece of kitchen twine. Add this bouquet to the contents of the pan.
Let everything simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bouquet garni, and add the sardines to the pan. Gently heat the sardines through for a short time.
Serve the dish in the pan with the basil leaves, or divide the vegetables, fish, and sauce onto plates.