Raw beef with deep-fried artichokes and agretti

Serves 4

(Lisa Barber)

Warm, crisp artichokes with raw fillet of beef and dressed with olive oil is a lovely combination. I discovered this accidentally – two different dishes colliding. Leave out the agretti, a tangy marsh grass, if it's too difficult to find.

A small handful of agretti
200g/7oz raw best-quality fillet of beef
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
45ml/2fl oz extra-virgin olive oil
The juice of half a lemon
1 litre/13/4 pints corn oil, heated to 170C/340F
3 prepared artichokes
Lemon wedges to serve

Trim the agretti of its stalks and rinse under cold running water. Place a pot of water on to boil and blanch the agretti briefly. Set aside.

Using a sharp knife, slice the beef thinly, then chop crosswise, so you have small cubes. Continue to chop until you have the finest beef. Place in a bowl, season and dress with the oil and lemon

When the corn oil is hot (test it by dropping in a small piece of fresh bread – it should sizzle), drop the artichokes in and cook for two minutes, or until they are crispy and brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Place the seasoned beef on a plate, place the warm artichokes alongside and top with a little agretti. Serve at once with a wedge of lemon. '