Ingredients
1/2 lemon, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 globe artichokes
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large egg yolk
1/2 small red bell pepper
1/2 small yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Champagne vinegar
1/4 preserved lemon, flesh discarded, rind very thinly sliced (see Note)
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons very finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped pitted Niçoise olives
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 packed cups baby arugula
Preparation
Fill bowl with water and squeeze the lemon half into it. Working with 1 artichoke, snap off the outer leaves. Using a sharp knife, trim the stem and base of the artichoke and cut off the top two-thirds of the leaves. Scrape out the furry choke. Rub the artichoke heart all over with the lemon half and drop in the bowl of water. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the artichoke hearts and simmer over moderately high heat until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain, cut into 1/4-inch dice. Bring saucepan of salted water to a simmer. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with the Parmesan and 1 tablespoon of the flour; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg yolk and the diced artichoke hearts. Using 2 large serving spoons, form the mixture into 12 oval-shaped dumplings. Add the dumplings to the simmering water and cook gently until they start to rise to the surface, about 1 minute. Refrigerate until very cold, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, roast the pepper halves over a gas flame or under the broiler, skin side up, until nicely charred. Peel the peppers and cut them into 1/4-inch dice. In a small saucepan, combine 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the lemon juice, water, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and the preserved lemon rind and boil over moderately high heat until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time. Stir in the shallots, olives, parsley, chives, tarragon and roasted peppers and season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Lightly dust the dumplings with flour and fry. Cook over moderately high heat until they are golden brown, about 4 1/2 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the arugula and toss. Spoon the lemon sauce into 4 shallow bowls. Arrange 3 dumplings in each bowl, mound the arugula alongside and serve.
