Annie Our first homegrown artichokes finally came to fruition last week—a gardening project I started all the way back in January (find my post about growing them HERE). They’ve been through a lot in the short 6 months of their lives, including an almost-too-cold spring vernalization, a nasty infestation of spider mites in the early spring, followed by an aphid attack most recently. But *most* of the plants made it through and went on to produce a very gratifying first harvest. These artichokes were smaller than store-bought artichokes, but that just makes them more adorable, right? (IWe’re glass-half-full type of girls, if you haven’t noticed.)
We served them as appetizers with a tangy-delish mignonette sauce, which is simply a mixture of red wine vinegar, shallot, and fresh parsley or tarragon. It was simple but absolutely lovely. I can’t imagine a better way to accent but not overpower the amazing artichoke flavor in a fun-to-eat starter.
Artichoke KNOW HOW This member of the thistle family can be a little tricky to prep. Here are the 4 tips you need to know to get started off on the right foot.
1. Seek out the best artichokes if you don’t grow your own. When purchasing artichokes, look for ones with firm heads and tight, compact leaves. They should feel heavy for their size. Avoid ones that are soft, wrinkled, or have excessive brown spots or cracks. (Hint: Walmart is a surprisingly great source of fresh artichokes!)
2. Remove the prickles, if present. Some artichokes have super-sharp leaf tips. Protect your dinner guests by trimming them away with kitchen shears.
3. Artichokes oxidize quickly, so keep lemon water handy. As you cut into them, get them into that lemon-water ASAP to prevent browning.
4. Get all that choke out. The “choke” of the artichoke is the furry-looking white and/or purplish center of the artichoke. Hence the name “choke,” this part is incredibly unpleasant to consume. If it’s just Jay and I eating steamed artichokes, I’ll just leave it in and we remove it at the table, but if you’re serving guests, I recommend scooping it out before cooking.
Braised Artichokes with Mignonette
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium lemon, juiced
- 6 small artichokes or 3 large artichokes, leaf tips trimmed
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine water and the lemon juice in a large stainless steel or enameled braising pot or oven-going skillet. Remove the loose lower leaves from the stem ends of the artichokes. Trim leaf tips as needed. Halve small artichokes or quarter large artichokes lengthwise and immediately place, cut sides down, into lemon-water to prevent browning. Using a small spoon, carefully scrape inner thistle "choke" from inside the heart of the artichokes and discard. Arrange artichokes in a single layer in pot.
- Add garlic to pot. Drizzle artichokes with 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil and sprinkle with ½ tsp. of the salt and ½ tsp. of the pepper. Cover and bring to boiling over medium-high heat. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Braise in oven about 1 hour or until artichoke stems are fork-tender and a leaf comes loose when pulled gently. Let cool, covered, until room temperature.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine red wine vinegar, parsley, shallot, and the remaining ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper. Spoon over cooled artichokes. Drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil.
