Recipe - Warm Artichoke Salad With Bacon And Mustard Vinaigrette

One half cup Flour
One fourth cup Fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Salt
15 lg Artichokes
10 sl Bacon
4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon Redwine vinegar
One half cup Olive oil
One fourth teaspoon Finely chopped garlic
One half cup Finely chopped parsley
Pepper

Prepare a blanc: Place the four in a large pot and beat in enough cold
water to make a smooth, mediumthick paste. Then beat in 2 quarts of cold
water, the lemon juice and the salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and
simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove hearts from artichokes.

Add the artichoke hearts to the water, bring to boil, the simmer gently
until the hearts are just tender when pierced with a knife (about 2530
minutes). Remove pot from heat and allow the hearts to come to room
temperature in the liquid.

Gently fry the bacon slices. Do not cook until crisp. Remove and reserve on
paper towels.

Place the mustard in a mixing bowl. Using a whisk, beat in the vinegar.
Drop by drop at first, then in a thin stream, beat in the olive oil; the
mixture should be mediumthick. Add the garlic, and season vinaigrette to
taste with salt and pepper.

Remove warm artichoke hearts from liquid and cut in sixths. Place in large
mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cut each bacon slice into 6
pieces and add to bowl. Toss with vinaigrette. Serve on 8 individual
plates, sprinkled with chopped parsley.

As a first course: Serve just as in this recipepreferably on stark white
plates for a real bistro effect.

As a buffet item: This quantity will provide small portions for about 15
people.

Yield: 8 firstcourse