Mushroom and Artichoke Fricassée with Tarragon

Fill a large bowl with cold water and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. As each artichoke is trimmed and halved, drop it immediately into the acidulated water to prevent browning.

Finely mince the shallots and garlic. Quarter the chestnut mushrooms, thickly slice the shiitake caps, and tear the oyster mushrooms. Pick the tarragon leaves and set half aside for finishing.

Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide, heavy-based sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Drain and pat the artichokes dry, then place them cut-side down in a single layer; cook without moving for 4–5 minutes until deep golden on the cut face.

Flip the artichokes, pour in the white wine, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and braise for 15 minutes until the artichokes are completely tender when pierced with a knife tip and the wine is nearly absorbed. Transfer the artichokes to a plate and reserve.

Wipe the pan, return it to high heat, and add the remaining 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Once the butter foam begins to subside, add the chestnut and shiitake mushrooms in a single layer — do not stir; cook for 4–5 minutes until deeply browned on one side.

Add the oyster mushrooms, season generously with salt and white pepper, and toss to combine; cook for a further 3 minutes until all mushrooms are golden and any released liquid has evaporated.

Reduce the heat to medium, push the mushrooms to the sides of the pan, and add the shallots and garlic to the centre; cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until softened and fragrant.

Pour in the vegetable stock and scrape up any fond from the base of the pan; simmer for 3 minutes until reduced by one-third.

Stir in the double cream and Dijon mustard; simmer gently for 5 minutes until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon.

Return the reserved artichokes to the pan along with the first half of the tarragon leaves and the chopped parsley; fold gently and heat through for 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cubed cold butter piece by piece, swirling the pan constantly until each cube is fully emulsified and the sauce is glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, white pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Spoon into warm shallow bowls, scatter over the reserved whole tarragon leaves, and serve immediately with grilled or toasted sourdough alongside.