Artichoke hearts with goat's cheese, pear and schnapps in a puff pastry case

Method

1. To prepare the artichokes, cut off the stalks and remove the tough outer leaves. Place in a large pan of boiling salted water with the lemon juice. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until tender.

2. Drain and place upside down on a rack to cool. Once cool, peel off all the remaining leaves and remove the fibrous centre to reveal the artichoke heart.

3. Mix the chopped pears and schnapps together in a bowl. Add the thyme leaves and goat's cheese and season to taste. Divide the mixture between the four artichokes, piling it on top of each heart.

4. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Roll out the pastry to about 5 milimetres thin and glaze with egg yolk. Place in the fridge for about 10 minutes, until the glaze is dry and set. Cut into 4 large circles big enough to completely wrap each artichoke heart.

5. Slash through the pastry in a series of vertical lines so that when the pastry is stretched slightly it opens into a lattice pattern.

6. Wrap each artichoke with a lattice of pastry, trimming away any extra pastry and tucking under the base to secure. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve with a small pile of watercress and a drizzle of walnut oil.