This is one of only very few artichoke dishes, and all but one are found only in 13th-century Andalusian and North African recipe collections.
This truly delightful recipe from ‘The Exile’s Cookbook’ for a smooth dip is made by boiling cleaned artichokes — the author refers to them as afzān (أفزان), a Berber word denoting cultivated varieties — a couple of times before mashing them up and adding them to a pot in which you have cooked onions with salt, coriander seeds, pepper, milk and butter.
The author suggests serving it warm, but it is extremely tasty cold as well. It can be eaten as a side, or as a little snack and goes very well with some crusty bread.
